Reliving memories

Many of He's interviewees attended the launch on Pudong Epic on Nov 26 and shared their thoughts of the book.

Sha Lin was among the first officials to work in the Pudong development office in the small building in Lujiazui.

Although Sha, who was then the deputy director of the office, has close knowledge of Pudong's development, he said that reading He's book allowed him to view that moment in history from a much wider perspective. He also enjoyed reliving those times through He's words.

"The book is like a biography of dream chasers who contributed to building Pudong while chasing their dreams, and we should always remember these individuals," he added.

Wang Ande, the first general manager of the Lujiazui Financial and Trade Development Co, said that reading the book reminded him of the days when he worked in the No 141 building.

"Everyone came to the office full of energy," Wang recalled. "But the book is not just about us — it also tells the stories of the indigenous residents in Pudong who made sacrifices to support the government initiative for relocation, and the business elites who came from home and abroad. The development of Pudong would not have been so successful without their contributions.”

He said that in hindsight, his book can be considered a love novel of sorts.

"Come think of it, this is a story about a couple was divided by the river that gets reunited in the end," he quipped.