“In cities far from home / Through silent ways / I learned to gaze upon foreign soil / As seasons turn, life renews / Wounds slowly heal / A story breathes life into landscapes…”
Rereading these words he penned over thirty years ago, writer Liu Dongwu is transported back to his youth—the raw days of working in Guangdong as a migrant worker.
Not long ago, an exhibition titled “Workers’ Stars: A Retrospective of Migrant Worker Literature” opened at the Dongguan Exhibition Centre. Alongside Liu’s poetry collections, yellowed magazines, documents, photographs, and newspapers trace the evolution of this literary movement—from its origins as a “grassroots cry” to its emergence as a recognized “literary brand.”
Over the 40-plus years of reform and opening up, Dongguan, amid roaring machinery, has nurtured a unique cultural oasis. Hundreds of millions of striving souls have chronicled the era’s pulse through words, images, and performances, creating a profound literary-artistic sample under China’s industrialization wave.
The photo shows a film crew shooting at a location in Shudian. (Photo provided by the interviewee)
From “world’s factory” to a beacon of migrant worker literature
From working in Dongguan’s factories to editing a township newspaper, then serving as chief editor of Nanfeiyan (Southbound Swallow) – a magazine dedicated to migrant worker literature... Today, Liu Dongwu is Vice Chairman of the Guangdong Literary and Art Critics Association, a National First-Class Writer, and an expert on migrant worker literature. Having led the national social science project “A Holistic Study of Migrant Worker Literature”, he reflects, “this literature is not merely a chronicle of migration – it is an emotional epic forged with blood, tears, and hope.”
Over decades, countless young migrant workers like Liu Dongwu came to Dongguan in pursuit of their dreams and to change their destinies.
In July 1978, Taiping Handbag Factory – China’s first “three-supplies-and-one-compensation” enterprise (processing with supplied materials/designs/samples and compensation trade) funded by Hong Kong investors – opened in Dongguan. This ignited the monumental era of migrant labor. Statistics show that since reform and opening up, over 200 million people have lived and worked in Dongguan. Among them, countless artistically inclined youths toiled on assembly lines by day, then wrote in rented rooms or diners by night – giving birth to a distinct literary genre: migrant worker literature.
Migrant worker literature, characterized by workers writing about their own working lives, authentically documents the living conditions of laborers after China’s reform and opening-up, pioneering a distinctive literary expression of its era. From factory newsletters and township gazettes to city-wide newspapers and literary federations, Dongguan has established a series of platforms to showcase and support this genre. It actively discovers and nurtures worker-writers, promoting their works to broader audiences.
Over the decades, Dongguan has produced a cohort of representative writers and works, including Wang Shiyue’s National Order, Zheng Xiaoqiong’s “migrant worker poetry,” Ding Yan’s “Factory Trilogy,” and Hong Hulang’s The Struggles of Niu Xiaomi in a Foreign Company. These workers from diverse industries bear witness to the powerful tide of change where “hard work makes dreams possible.”
“It was historically inevitable for a group of worker-writers to emerge from this community and for the migrant worker literature phenomenon to first flourish in Guangdong,” asserts Liu Dongwu. He sees this as the vitality of mass literature and art in the new era: “When the monumental wave of migrant labor surged into view, our writing inevitably formed a profound and enduring response to it.”
Time flows steadily on. Over the past four decades, Dongguan has evolved from a “world’s factory” into a “renowned manufacturing city.” This sweeping social transformation has consistently provided vast creative ground and rich material for creators among its vast migrant workforce. These writers, in turn, have remained in sync with their city, their nation, and their times, using words to document the deeply personal journeys forged in the heat of the workplace and the rhythms of daily life.
Zheng Xiaoqiong, who once wrote the essay “Iron · Plastics Factory” while working on an assembly line, is now Deputy Director of the Guangdong Literary Museum and Vice President of the Guangdong Writers Institute. Yet she still considers Dongguan one of her creative roots. She notes that from the early days of “processing with supplied materials/designs/samples” to today’s rise of high-tech industries, Dongguan’s industrial chain has continuously upgraded, while the city and its population have rapidly transformed—all serving as the backdrop for her recent novels.
In recent years, “amateur writing” within the context of new-era mass literature has flourished. Takeout poet Wang Jibing, who pens life’s bittersweet moments between deliveries; domestic worker Fan Yusu, who documents her reflections amid life’s hardships; and Hu An’yan, who observes daily nuances and work struggles through a courier’s lens—from offline communities to social media, ordinary people are using words to record lives and voice perspectives, blurring the lines between traditional writers and readers. “Creativity isn’t the privilege of a select few. Anyone curious and passionate about life can channel their vitality, perception, and imagination into art,” says Xie Youshun, Chairman of the Guangdong Provincial Writers Association.
Dongguan’s community of amateur writers is gradually becoming a new creative force in contemporary literature. Their works reveal distinct characteristics that diverge from traditional literary production. Examples abound: Xiong Feng, a “second-generation migrant” and post-90s poet, transforms his experiences into verses translated into English, German, and French; local online author Li Huanwen finds solace and purpose in web novels, penning eight books like Dawn Medic totaling over 11 million characters; cleaner Wang Ying documents her struggles against labor and prejudice in works like A Cleaning Woman’s Notes; and Wen Xiongzhen—who vends by day, serves at a barbecue restaurant by night, and writes poetry after midnight—finds poetry amid mundane streets, with her piece “Dwelling on Charcoal Fire” selected for the 2025 China Writers Association “Writer Immersion Program.” In this new era, more hidden voices from all walks of life are being uncovered. They use the purest strokes to depict life’s everyday sparks, revealing the warm humanity of Dongguan.
“These amateur writers, long immersed in everyday realities, infuse their work with immediacy, documentary authenticity, and interactive dialogue with life itself. Their words are life, unvarnished,” states Hu Lei, Chairman of the Dongguan Writers Association.
At Dongguan’s Unique One Perceive Two Drama Workshop, Li Ke directs a rehearsal. (Photo by Zhan Yijia, Xinhua News Agency)
From “amateur writing” to a diverse cultural ecosystem
After work, a group of young people gathers on the third floor of Xiangshi Grand Stage’s complex in Liaobu Town, Dongguan, rehearsing the short play Salute to Lin Zexu for an upcoming anti-drug day. They are members of the Unique One Perceive Two Drama Workshop.
Over 180 years ago, on this very land in Dongguan, a historic opium destruction campaign ignited the glorious struggle of modern China against imperialism and colonialism. On stage, Wang Qingkun, portraying Lin Zexu, delivers the same anti-opium declaration across time and space.
Wang Qingkun is not only a workshop member but also a music teacher at Hebinc Primary School in Liaobu Town. “I cherish both the stage and the rehearsal process—those passionate about performance inevitably find each other,” says Wang, now settled in Dongguan. Even in the town, cultural life thrives here. Art enthusiasts of all ages and professions form communities, with ample opportunities for charity shows, professional performances, and competitions.”
The Unique One Perceive Two Workshop is part of the Dongguan Culture Center Youth Drama Troupe. Last year alone, they staged 14 productions, including the slice-of-life vignettes Life in Between and the original sitcom Happy Montage. Their footprints grace diverse venues across Dongguan—from intimate black boxes to grand theaters and cultural weekend events.
“Having lived here for 20 years, I’ve witnessed Dongguan’s cultural ecosystem flourish,” says Li Ke, freelance playwright, director, and founder of the workshop. “Many plays draw from local stories. We aim to share Dongguan’s past and present with wider audiences while deepening the roots of theater arts here.”
The workshop and its “drama-loving youth” epitomize the vibrant growth of mass arts in Dongguan’s new era.
With an average age of just 33, Dongguan ranks among China’s youngest cities. Today, young dreamers nationwide continue to arrive, chasing and realizing their ambitions. Beyond literature, diverse art forms now blossom across this land, radiating vitality far and wide.
Dongguan’s Shudian Short Drama Base (Photo provided by interviewee)
At the Shudian Short Drama Base in Dongguan’s Nancheng Subdistrict, several film crews are shooting multiple micro-dramas concurrently. Spanning over 10,000 square meters, the base features hundreds of sets for film production: CEO offices, luxury living rooms, civil affairs bureaus, hospitals, schools, bars… Here, a series typically completes filming in 3 to 5 days, enters post-production within 7 days, and launches across all platforms in 15 days.
Ouyang Jie, founder of the base, explains that the base provides comprehensive services, including locations, equipment, catering, accommodation, scriptwriting, casting, and distribution. As a result, the base not only emerges as a key micro-drama hub in Guangdong but also attracts out-of-town productions.
Today, the base also nurtures local talent in screenwriting, directing, and acting. Since its establishment, it has consistently organized training workshops for supporting actors, recruiting and cultivating local performers. Their social media recruitment groups now exceed 20,000 members.
Meanwhile, the amateur music group “Sons of the Sun,” through 18 years of perseverance, sings of economic growth and social change, now boasting nearly one million followers and over 220 million streams online. Zhan Youbing, once a factory security guard, captured over a million photos of migrant workers across two decades, earning the title “China’s authentic chronicler of manufacturing.” Local artist Li Jinghu transforms industrial scrap into large-scale installations, reflecting the city’s industrial evolution and cultural transformation—where machinery factories and nostalgic landscapes resonate deeply with audiences.
Dongguan’s cultural scene has grown alongside its industrialization and urbanization, expanding from industrial literature (including migrant worker literature) to photography, fine arts, theater, music, and short dramas—all echoing the visceral connection and profound bond between the city and its migrant workforce.
This open courtyard is located in Guancang Community, Zhangmutou Town, Dongguan. (Photo by Zhang Xiaoyu, Xinhua News Agency)
“Passing the torch” in the Writers’ Village
Along the Guancang River in Dongguan’s Zhangmutou Town stands a well-preserved Hakka ancient village dating back to the Ming Chongzhen era (1628—1644). Today, it is better known as “China’s First Writers’ Village.”
Initially drawn to Dongguan through contracts with the municipal literature academy, renowned writers like Lei Da and Wang Song bought homes and settled in Zhangmutou Town. Their stories were spread through word-of-mouth, thus organically forming a literary community. By 2010, “China’s First Writers’ Village” was officially established in Zhangmutou Town, with Lei Da serving as “village chief,” attracting numerous celebrated authors to settle.
The arrival of literary luminaries ignited Dongguan’s creative spirit. Grassroots writers found inspiration, absorbing professional guidance through osmosis. This fluid mentorship continuously nurtured the city’s new generation of literary talent.
Mo Huajie, Vice Chairman of the Dongguan Writers Association, embodies this cultural renaissance—a writer who thrived and defied the odds through literature.
Born in a remote mountainous region in Guangxi Province, Mo Huajie left school after primary education due to health issues, working on his family’s farm. Later in Dongguan, he labored in plastic, furniture, and electronics factories, and hotels. Despite hardships, he clung to his childhood passion: writing. “I still wonder—how did a primary school graduate find the courage to keep writing? It almost feels absurd,” he recalls. Yet he persevered.
In 2008, his literary idol Chen Qiwen joined the Writers’ Village as an advisor. Mo Huajie, then working in another town, began making three-hour bus trips to seek Chen’s guidance. “It takes three hours to get to Zhangmutou by bus, but I don’t find it arduous at all. Seeing my passion for writing, he simply accepted me as his private disciple.” says Mo Huajie.
Under Chen Qiwen’s mentorship, Mo Huajie quit his job to write full-time, channeling his journey into the memoir In a Grain of Worldly Dust. In 2023, it won the inaugural Lijiang Literary Award, followed by the 11th Guangdong Lu Xun Literary Prize.
Mo Huajie now thrives as a professional writer and resident author in the village. He later mentored Ma Yilin, a fellow “mold-maker-turned-writer,” ensuring the torch of literary dreams continues to pass through Dongguan’s soil.
Currently, 97 writers have taken up residence in the Writers’ Village, including 65 nationally recognized authors and critics. Among them are 7 recipients of the Lu Xun Literary Prize and 3 winners of the Five-One Project Award by the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee. Their collective works exceed 700 published titles. Leveraging the village as a creative hub, Dongguan has coalesced a literary community comprising both professional authors and grassroots writers.
“Migrant worker literature, as the vanguard of new-era public arts, catalyzed the transformation of ordinary workers into writers. This writer cohort now nourishes a new generation of amateur authors, forming a virtuous literary ecosystem,” observes Liu Dongwu.
From migrant worker literature leading cultural trends to today’s flourishing diversity in mass arts, Dongguan’s cultural evolution owes much to its countless strivers—a natural outcome of decades cultivating fertile creative soil.
To better nurture emerging artistic communities and advance public arts, Dongguan has implemented a comprehensive three-tier cultural infrastructure network spanning municipal, township, and village/community levels. This extends public cultural services to grassroots areas while continuously enhancing citizens’ cultural fulfillment and sense of belonging. At the same time, targeted incentives and supporting mechanisms are also implemented to empower the flourishing of arts and culture.
The Dongguan Federation of Literary and Art Circles issued the “Dongguan Municipal Mechanism for Promoting the Creation and Production of Outstanding Literary and Artistic Works,” collaborating with publishing houses to implement a “full-chain” cultivation project. They host various writing workshops, build literary exchange platforms, and support grassroots literary talent, thereby establishing a multidimensional network for disseminating works. The Dongguan Photographers Association formed a “Gold Medal Lecturer Group,” selecting 12 experts across fields such as portraiture, landscape, and post-processing. Throughout the year, this group delivers over 20 public-interest courses, creating a tiered training system. The Dongguan Quyi (folk performing arts) Association organizes “Famous Quyi Masters into the Grassroots” events, covering five provinces renowned for Quyi as well as the three major Chinese Quyi towns of Daojiao, Machong, and Zhongtang. These efforts elevate the Quyi performance skills of numerous grassroots-era folk arts practitioners...
Hu Lei notes that Dongguan previously implemented the “Residency Scheme for Migrant Writers and Artists”, allowing outstanding worker-writers and artists to obtain local household registration. Special funds were allocated to support over 100 grassroots writers and artists, subsidizing the publication of more than 100 personal anthologies. This attracted writers like Chen Qiwen and Ding Yan to settle in Dongguan. In recent years, the Dongguan Municipal Party Committee and Municipal Government have introduced multiple supportive policies, further promoting the prosperous development of arts and culture in this city.
“Next, we will continue to strengthen organizational efforts, provide more platforms, help amateur writers steadily hone their craft, produce better work, and further promote the flourishing development of mew mass arts and culture in Dongguan,” said Hu Lei.
“Life is compartmentalized—within its grid exists a cell reserved for literature, and preserving it is profoundly beautiful,” remarked Li Jingze, Vice Chairman of the China Writers Association, at Dongguan’s symposium “Urban Sunshine: Amateur Writing and New Mass Arts.” From migrant worker literature to today’s flourishing amateur writing, Dongguan is building stages for countless ordinary voices through systematic initiatives. Across this land pulsating with raw vitality and creativity, literary seeds are taking root and thriving.
“In the new media era, people are both dramatis personae and dramatists. Their widespread participation has unleashed immense cultural productivity,” asserts Wang Jun, pioneer of the “new mass arts” concept and Honorary President of the Liu Qing Literature Research Society. As public engagement in artistic creation intensifies, new mass arts are evolving into lifestyles and production modes, manifesting as livestreams, micro-dramas, short videos, gaming, and village soccer leagues. This synergy forms sustainable “arts + life” and “arts + production” paradigms.
Source: June 13 edition ofXinhua Daily Telegraph
