A humble man under the bright starlight
When it comes to the name Chen Chong, many post-80s and post-90s generations will not be unfamiliar. She is like a shining star, who has bloomed brilliantly in the film industry in the 80s of the last century. However, do you know the background of this lady on the screen?
Chen Chong was born in 1961 in Shanghai into an ordinary working family, and his ancestors were small citizens and craftsmen for generations. When she was a child, her family was very poor, and she often did not have enough to eat, so she could only eat some bread buns to satisfy her hunger. But fortunately, she was born with a good appearance, she looks smart, with big eyes and rustling, like a little mermaid jumping out of the water.
The lack of money is unimaginable, but the family's expectations for Chen Chong are high, and they all hope that this ingenious baby daughter in the family can change her fate. Sure enough, Chen Chong joined the Shanghai Children's Art Troupe when she was 8 years old and started her dream life.
In 1976, 15-year-old Chen Chong became popular for his role as the mute maid in the movie "Youth". Later, she consolidated her position in the mainland film industry with "Little Flower". This little girl from a humble background became a household name overnight and was hailed as "one of the brightest stars in the new era".
This is how the first turning point in life came. A mere girl from a humble family has become a big star in just a few years, which is really desirable and enviable. But at her peak, Chen Chong made a decision that was incomprehensible to outsiders - she gave up all the glory of China and resolutely embarked on a journey to the United States.
Flying across the ocean: The fog of the American dream
Giving up the peak and going to the United States, for Chen Chong, who was born with a "political coldness", the motive behind this is not so simple. She has a strong curiosity and yearning for Western culture, which also sowed the seeds for her later choices.
In 1979, Chen Chong entered the Shanghai Foreign Chinese College to study English and American literature, which undoubtedly added confidence to her future studies in the United States. A few years later, in 1985, she finally mustered up the courage to fly across the Pacific Ocean and set foot on American soil.
Life in the United States was quite difficult in the beginning. As an immigrant, Chen Chong had to work all kinds of basins to make ends meet. She used to work as a waitress in a restaurant, working more than 10 hours a day for a pitiful salary. Even eating became a luxury, and she could often only nibble on a few mouthfuls of bread to satisfy her hunger. This made the once big star feel unprecedented humiliation.
What's even more terrifying is that she has also suffered racism in the film and television industry. As an Asian face, it is difficult for Chen Chong to get the same opportunities as white people. In desperation, she can only play some tricks and small supporting roles, with a meager income, far from catching up with the highlights in China.
Faced with difficulties, Chen Chong realized that in order to take root and develop in the United States, she had to become an American citizen. So in 1988, she finally got a U.S. green card and officially became a U.S. citizen.
Still, survival is a huge challenge. In order to make a living, Chen Chong had to continue to take care of his work. For a while, she even worked at a Chinese restaurant, and she was busy until late every day before she could leave work. However, it was this diligent labor and tenacious perseverance that allowed her to survive the difficulties and slowly regain some opportunities in the American film and television industry.
The bright star journey leads to the dispute between the family and the country
In 1989, Chen Chong played the role of Wanrong in the movie "The Last Emperor" and received positive reviews, which added confidence to her development in the American film and television industry. Since then, she has decided to develop in the United States and never return to China.
In the next few years, Chen Chong starred in many award-winning masterpieces, such as "La Vie en Rose" and "Big Fish", and began to achieve small successes. At the same time, she also met her second husband Peter Xu, and the two had a very happy married life. However, there is one thing that is ironic.
In 1998, Chen Chong adopted twin daughters. But just two years later, she handed over the two children to another family in the United States! After this incident was exposed, Chen Chong sparked a huge controversy in China. Netizens have condemned her for "seeing different thoughts" and "abandoning her own flesh and blood".
This turmoil caused Chen Chong's reputation in China to fall to the bottom for a time. In order to recoup the repercussions, she had to defend her actions in the media. It wasn't until her daughter graduated from Harvard University many years later that Chen Chong happily posted photos of her child on social platforms, and the matter was finally settled.
It's just that when netizens saw that Chen Chong's daughter couldn't even speak fluent Chinese, they couldn't help but bombard her for "forgetting her roots" and "not teaching her daughter's mother tongue". These controversies seem to have once again pushed Chen Chong to the forefront of being judged by public opinion.
The Western thin dream of Chinese stars
From a poor girl to a star in the film industry, she gave up her glory and went to the ocean, made a comeback after the United States fell to the bottom, and was finally forced to leave the motherland and have children. Chen Chong's life trajectory is so ups and downs that it is endlessly evocative.
In fact, the twists and turns of her story also reflect the conflicts and twists and turns of the intersection of Chinese and Western cultures in the 80s of the last century. After receiving Western education, many contemporary intellectuals have developed a yearning and fanaticism for Western civilization and culture, and at the same time, they have also turned their backs on their own cultural roots.
Chen Chong belonged to this category of people back then. Full of longing for a Western film career, she resolutely went to the United States to pursue her dream. There, however, she suffered repeated setbacks and had to work hard from scratch.
Even if there is a small success later, it is assimilated by the superficial Western way of life, and it is difficult to return to the origin of Chinese culture. Her children do not speak Chinese and lack understanding of traditional Chinese culture, which exposes her complete disconnection from her roots.
Some commentators have pointed out that the reason why Chen Chong has been coldly received by public opinion is precisely because she has deviated from her cultural identity on the way to pursue the dream of the West. She forgot where she came from, and she also lost her emotional bond with her homeland. This undoubtedly casts a heavy shadow on the former film superstar.
However, we cannot completely deny Chen Chong's life because of this. After all, with tenacious perseverance and hard work, she walked step by step from an unknown poor girl to the center of the stage of life. Her tenacity and aggressiveness are worth remembering. It's a pity that in the end, because of the distortion of values, she failed to integrate the essence of Eastern and Western cultures.
One interpretation is that Chen Chong's pursuit of the Western dream is a microcosm of the dilemma of contemporary Chinese cultural identity. Our country has been bullied by Western powers for a long time, and it is only in modern times that it has begun to wake up and learn from the advanced civilization of the West. In this process, it is inevitable that there will be a numb imitation of the West and a self-denial of Eastern culture.
This Meng Lang idea no longer exists today, but it was a pain in the Chinese's quest for modernization. Chen Chong's life experience is undoubtedly a typical failure of this contradictory trend of thought back then. When we examine her gains and losses, we should also reflect on the path of cultural identity of the Chinese and reflect on it.
Only by taking root in the fertile soil of local culture and absorbing the essence of foreign civilizations can Chinese truly dialogue with the world and achieve mutual learning and rejuvenation of cultures. Chen Chong's loss has given us a deep warning, and we should learn from it, cherish the present and grasp the future.
The material is mortal, and the spiritual is eternal. Living in the present, we should strive to contribute our strength to the inheritance and promotion of Chinese culture, and not let the glorious achievements of the former heroes be buried. Only in this way can we truly win the dignity of the nation and regain the glory of our culture.