Time really does fly -- 30 years have whizzed by since 1978. The few big events which occurred that long ago, namely the matriculation of the first group of university students after the restoration of the national college entrance examination, the great discussion on practice as the sole criterion for testing truth, the reversal of the verdict on the 1976 Tian'anmen Incident, the fixing of farm output quotas for each household at Xiaogang Village of Fengyang County, Anhui Province, and especially the convening of the Third Plenary Session of the CPC's Eleventh Central Committee, all remain as fresh in my mind as if they had occurred only yesterday.

This has been the most prosperous and vibrant period of Chinese history, during which the Chinese people have gradually expanded their living space, development opportunities and all kinds of rights and benefits. Thanks to the country's opening and reform policies, we have eliminated poverty, begun living a relatively comfortable life and, after decades or even centuries of self-isolation, China has gradually re-merged into the world community.

On the historical stage during that time, dramatic scenes have been acted out one after another which, resounding with pithy maxims and wise apothegms that would enlighten the benighted, have revealed so many people's prowess and sorrows, glories and dreams. Under the overall impact of reform, they have left their indelible marks on history.

History is made by people. The greatest change born of the opening and reform measures is a new system to help people realize their potential and fulfill their ambitions. In practice, everybody makes history and each human life reflects certain fragments of history. With this in mind, the Foreign Languages Press salutes the thirtieth anniversary of opening up and initial reform, along with the sacred Olympic Flame which is now illuminating the Chinese land, with Thirty Years, Thirty Individuals in both the English and Chinese versions. This collection of articles unfolds the thirty years of history through the recounting of people's life experiences. I favor this type of narration because it shows our history more vividly and realistically.

After reading the first draft of this book, I have the following few thoughts:

First of all, the book upholds an extraordinary theme. During these past 30 years, China has undergone profound changes in all its areas of endeavor. This book is intended to trace the lives of ordinary Chinese people against the backdrop of the political as well as economic reforms and the sweeping changes in the economic sector of Chinese society. All the transformations are observed from the detailed aspects of personal lives, enabling readers to better understand the achievements and benefits of the reforms. Besides, such details will give them a deeper insight into the considerations that were the foundation for the reform initiatives.

Secondly, the book provides a broad vision. The 30 individuals selected for it include Yuan Geng, one of the earliest contributors to the country's measures of opening and reform; Professor Jiang Ping, who took pains to develop reform theories in cooperation with me; and private entrepreneurs who distinguished themselves in the transformative process and even today remain supportive towards the sound and rapid development of the national economy. Besides, most of the stories are about ordinary people from all walks of life and who live under vastly different circumstances. Readers with firsthand experience of this segment of Chinese history will almost certainly find their own more ambitious, soulful selves in those people.