JOURNEY OF A THOUSAND MILES

“Number One” was a phrase my father—and, for that matter, mymother—repeated time and time again. It was a phrase spoken by myparents’ friends and by their friends’ children. Whenever adultsdiscussed the great Chinese painters and sculptors from the ancientdynasties, there was always a single artist named as Number One.There was the Number One leader of a manufacturing plant, theNumber One worker, the Number One scientist, the Number One carmechanic. In the culture of my childhood, being best waseverything. It was the goal that drove us, the motivation that gavelife meaning. And if, by chance or fate or the blessings of thegenerous universe, you were a child in whom talent was evident,Number One became your mantra. It became mine. I never begged myparents to take off the pressure. I accepted it; I even enjoyed it.It was a game, this contest among aspiring pianists, and although Imay have been shy, I was bold, even at age five, when faced with afield of rivals.
Born in China to parents whose musical careerswere interrupted by the Cultural Revolution, Lang Lang has emergedas one of the greatest pianists of our time. Yet despite his fame,few in the West know of the heart-wrenching journey from his earlychildhood as a prodigy in an industrial city in northern China tohis difficult years in Beijing to his success today.
Journey of a Thousand Miles documents theremarkable, dramatic story of a family who sacrificed almosteverything—his parents’ marriage, financial security, Lang Lang’schildhood, and their reputation in China’s insular classical musicworld—for the belief in a young boy’s talent. And it reveals thedevastating and intense relationship between a boy and his father,who was willing to go to any length to make his son a star.
An engaging, informative culturalcommentator who bridges East and West, Lang Lang has written morethan an autobiography: his book opens a door to China, where LangLang is a cultural icon, at a time when the world’s attention willbe on Beijing. Written with David Ritz, the coauthor of manybestselling autobiographies, Journey of a Thousand Miles is aninspiring story that will give readers an appreciation for thecourage and sacrifice it takes to achieve greatness.