Press Release 2003

Name: Press Release 2003
ISBN: 9787201078328

Han HanTianjin People's Publishing House · ChinaDec 2021

3.8

Word count: 37K words
Chapters: 19
ISBN: 9787201078328

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Summary

This is a collection of essays about the state of Chinese education, written by Han Han at the age of twenty-one. Through seventeen questions, it focuses on the various phenomena that appear under the current educational system. Starting from a student's point of view, the author sets out his own opinions, with sharp, clear-cut views and a humorous, seasoned style. In the first revised edition, Press Release 2003, ten thousand words are added across the original seventeen questions, offering a direct look at the trajectory of Han Han's thinking on these much-discussed topics over the past ten years.

Editor's review

At twenty-one, Han Han turns the microphone on campus life, using seventeen questions to lay out homework, exams, teachers and the pressure of advancing to higher education as everyday experience. Its value lies not in offering plans to reform education, but in preserving the in-the-moment defiance of someone who was there: short sentences, plenty of heat, tricky metaphors—it reads like listening to someone sound off in person, yet every line lands on a concrete phenomenon rather than empty sloganeering. The revised edition adds about 10,000 characters, placing the young man's judgments from back then alongside his retrospective view a decade later, so readers can see how his views on the same issues shifted and settled; that layer of self-comparison is itself worth reading. A caveat: the sharpness of these essays depends on context, and many observations carry the limits of personal experience; they need not be treated as settled conclusions on educational research. Suitable for dipping into an essay or two on the commute or before bed, and for comparing your own school memories with peers—it works more like a mirror, reflecting a generation's shared feelings about school life.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Young readers who have something to say about education and like blunt expression
Readers who want to understand Han Han's early essay style and how his views changed
Student readers under academic pressure who need an emotional outlet
Readers who enjoy short essays and read in fragmented moments

Not a good fit for

Readers hoping for systematic education research and data-based argument
Readers who prefer calm, restrained prose and dislike sharp complaint
Frontline teachers and parents who need practical teaching methods

Reading tips

Read two or three essays at a time and leave room to think about whether you've had similar experiences; you'll get more out of it than reading it all in one go.
When you disagree, note your reasons first and revisit them after finishing; it helps distinguish emotion from judgment.
Read the revised edition's new material alongside the original and watch for changes in the author's attitude and wording over ten years.

About the publisher

Tianjin People's Publishing House China · Founded in 1950

Tianjin People's Publishing House publishes across such fields as classic works, foreign literature, architecture, social culture and social sciences, with 749 relevant titles in the collection. In the areas of classics and scholarship, works such as Wang Guowei's Renjian Cihua and Fei Xiaotong's From the Soil and Fertility and Reproduction reflect a sustained attention to social culture and classic texts of thought. Architectural books are represented by Liang Sicheng's Annotated Yingzao Fashi and A History of Chinese Architecture, showing an emphasis on architectural heritage and building traditions. In foreign literature, translations of Sholokhov's And Quiet Flows the Don and Tolstoy's War and Peace and The Death of Ivan Ilyich, through the work of translators such as Li Gang and Yu Dawei, form a substantial series of translated works. Overall, the press combines classic texts, scholarly works and fine translations, with a publishing character oriented toward humanistic depth and the dissemination of knowledge.

版权信息
序
语文的问题
诗歌的问题
干部的问题
专家的问题
全面发展的问题
教师的问题
数学的问题
英语的问题
历史的问题
学校的问题
恋爱的问题
军训的问题
招生的问题
性格的问题
压力的问题
大学生的问题
自己的问题

FAQ

Is this book discussing the education system, or venting personal emotion?

Both. It enters through concrete phenomena and often lands on personal feelings and questions; it is sharp but does not aim for academic rigor. Better to treat it as an observation record from a student: it offers perspective and resonance, but cannot replace serious education research.

Will education essays written more than twenty years ago feel dated now?

Some specific examples bear the marks of their time, but core issues such as homework load, exam pressure and teacher-student relations still feel real. The retrospective added in the revised edition gives the old essays a sense of temporal distance; as you read, notice which judgments later experience has confirmed and which have changed.

Is it suitable for middle and high school students to read on their own?

Yes, but read with discernment. The questioning in the book can help students organize their own confusion, but the expression is rather sharp and should not be copied as an attitude toward handling things. If possible, discuss it with teachers or classmates afterward: keep the resonance, but avoid mistaking emotion for conclusion.

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About the author

Han Han Author · Chinese · 1982

Han Han, born on September 23, 1982, in Jinshan, Shanghai, is a contemporary Chinese author, professional racing driver, and film director. In 1999, he won first prize in the inaugural New Concept Writing Competition with “A Man Seen Through a Cup.” In 2000, he rose to fame with his novel Triple Door. He went on to publish works including Subzero, Changan Chaos, 1988: I Want to Talk to This World, and Youth. His writing spans wuxia, social novels, and essays, and is known for personal narration and a humorous yet incisive view of youth and social reality. As a professional racer, he won both circuit and rally annual championships, and in 2010 he was named one of Time magazine’s 100 most influential people in the world.