Thousand Miles Journey: My Story

My father, and my mother for that matter, often repeated the phrase "Number One." It was a mantra spoken by their friends and their friends’ children when discussing great Chinese painters and sculptors from ancient dynasties. Whether it was the Number One leader of a manufacturing plant, the Number One worker, the Number One scientist, or the Number One car mechanic, in my childhood culture, being the best was everything. It was the driving goal, the motivation that gave life meaning. And for a child born with evident talent, like me, Number One became the ultimate goal.

I never asked my parents to relieve the pressure. I embraced it, even enjoyed it. It was a contest among aspiring pianists, and although I may have been shy, I was bold, even at the young age of five, when faced with a field of rivals.

Lang Lang, born in China to parents whose musical careers were interrupted by the Cultural Revolution, has emerged as one of the greatest pianists of our time. Despite his fame, few in the West know of the heart-wrenching journey from his early childhood as a prodigy in an industrial city in northern China to his difficult years in Beijing to his success today.

The book "Journey of a Thousand Miles" documents the dramatic story of a family who sacrificed almost everything—his parents’ marriage, financial security, Lang Lang’s childhood, and their reputation in China’s insular classical music world—for the belief in a young boy’s talent. It reveals the intense relationship between a boy and his father, who was willing to go to any length to make his son a star.

Lang Lang, an engaging and informative cultural commentator who bridges East and West, has written more than an autobiography. His book opens a door to China, where Lang Lang is a cultural icon, at a time when the world’s attention will be on Beijing. Co-authored with David Ritz, the best-selling autobiographer, "Journey of a Thousand Miles" is an inspiring story that will give readers an appreciation for the courage and sacrifice it takes to achieve greatness.

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