Journey to the Southwest - A Trip to Yunnan Province
"Little did I know, this short 2-day trip was about to be one of my life’s most eye-opening experiences so far…"
Since the establishment of Generation Z Investment Club (Z Club), we have been adhering to the purpose of providing resources and platforms for young people who want to become excellent value investors, building a high-quality community, and passing on the correct value investment orientation, so that students can become long-term responsible investors with vision and passion.
With the efforts of the club members, in 2020, we first launched the charity project Generation Z Scholarship Program (later renamed to the Next Gen Scholarship Program). The funds for this scholarship program come from the investment income of the funds managed by the members as well as donations from partners who support the club.
While helping students from low-income families enter university and receive better education, scholars are also invited to join the Z Club to learn about investing and improve their financial quotient. 2024 is also the fourth year that we have established the scholarship. The good momentum built in previous years has led us to decide to expand the size of the scholarship program.
From 5-7 April 2024, we followed Wang Ying to her hometown in Lijiang, Yunnan Province. This year, we decided to reward the top 2 stock pickers from the Z Club - Javier CHAN and Huiling KOH - with this special trip, so that they can personally see the impact that their investment decisions make on the scholars.
Read on to see the reflections and journey that Javier, Huiling, Kayla and Wang Ying had through this meaningful trip.
Joining the Generation Z club ESG investing program, I always held onto the hope that our investments would ripple out into positive impacts on communities. I was fortunate to have been able to take part in the Yunnan trip where I got to meet Wang Ying and immerse myself in her community. Witnessing firsthand the transformative power of our investment returns fueled my determination to keep pushing for our fund's success. I was also privileged to be accompanied by many amazing investors, to whom I also wish to express my gratitude for the fun few days in Yunnan. :)
On 4th April 2024, we touched down in the evening in Yunnan, China and were greeted by a cool breeze and the beautiful sights of mountains. We then took the chance to explore the Old Town, where we got to witness some people dressed in local clothing and tried some of the local cuisines such as the 玫瑰花馅饼.
On the second day, I met Wang Ying and Kayla for the first time in person at a local diner. After some introductions, Wang Ying introduced us to our lunch, which included some local delicacies such as potatoes and sour papayas with chicken, among other delicacies.
From left to right: Hui Ling, Javier, Tiffany, Dennis (donor), Shinya, Kayla, Justin (investor), and Wang Ying
After the delicious lunch, we took a car to Wang Ying’s hometown. Along the way, we caught a glimpse of some of the local agriculture scene, which includes fields of potatoes and buckwheat. Wang Ying also explained to us about some of the local culture and how she had to walk 9km every week to get to her middle school, regardless of whether it rained or snowed. This was something that shocked me as the distance was long and I can only imagine how difficult it must have been to walk the road paths when it is raining. Furthermore, there were frequently several trucks and cars driving on the same narrow road.
We then reached her village and met her family. After a brief round of introductions, we were then shown around their home and got to see some of the farm animals that they owned including pigs. We then ate dinner with her family and got to learn more about how Wang Ying was like growing up. Her dad shared that she was quiet growing up, which struck me as surprising considering how warm and outgoing she was during our interactions, which probably is a testament to her growth. We also spoke about our motivations for investing and something that Shinya and Dennis said that resonated with me was that investing was more about learning to view the world from different perspectives and being curious about the world and the way the world works. This aspect of personal growth and curiosity is what initially drew me to investing, and it remains a driving force in my journey within the field.
After dinner, we interviewed some of the households to learn more about their lifestyles and purchasing behaviours. Before delving into the mentioned things that stood out to me, I would like to highlight some things that surprised me from what I saw – which includes the availability of 5G and the prevalence of e-payment such as Alipay even in rural areas such as Wang Ying’s village. This really highlighted the uniformity and consistency of transition into different advanced technologies in China. During the interview itself, several things surprised me as well. Firstly, despite the modest incomes, families dedicate a significant amount of savings to dowries and educations. For example, families had to save for up to 9 to 10 years to save the dowry required for males to the female’s family for marriage. Additionally, education costs a substantial proportion of their incomes, and Wang Ying’s dad shared that the scholarship that Gen Z provided was helpful in contributing to Wang Ying’s education fees. Another thing that stood out to me was the entrepreneurial spirit and resourcefulness of Wang Ying’s dad. Despite the significant upfront cost of purchasing a car, he ran a taxi service, like an Uber, which allows him to recover the initial costs within a few years.
As we were getting ready to wind down, Wang Ying and her family surprised us with some gifts for our night stay, including some slippers and face wash that they specially ordered for us. Although it was a small gesture, I was really grateful as I noticed that it was not common for them to order things into the village, possibly due to how costly the delivery charges are, given the distance from the city center.
On the third day we had a quick breakfast with her family before bidding them farewell and beginning our 9km walk to Wang Ying’s school. This 9km path was the path that Wang Ying took every week to get to her middle school, as mentioned earlier. Along the way, we got to appreciate the different sights near Wang Ying’s village and chatted more about Wang Ying’s village’s lifestyle. Something interesting that was highlighted was that the road that we were walking on was constructed and maintained largely by the natural resources/mining companies in the area, as they wanted to transport their goods on the path. The long walk was exhausting as there were several uphill and downhill portions. This experience served as a stark reminder of the privileges we enjoy growing up in a city like Singapore. We're blessed with abundant public infrastructure, like the MRT, making our daily commutes to school seamless compared to the challenging journeys faced by others.
All in all, this trip was undeniably eye-opening for me. It not only provided valuable insights and learning opportunities but also allowed me to witness firsthand the tangible impacts of our investment efforts through the Gen Z Club. It's truly remarkable to see how our work has made a difference in the lives of others. Knowing that we've contributed positively to other communities fills me with a deep sense of purpose and motivation to continue making a difference. Moving forward, I am inspired to continue working hard for our funds so that we can continue to contribute to initiatives that increase accessibility to education for talented individuals like Wang Ying and Kayla.
Koh Hui Ling,
ESG Investing Program
“I have no idea what to expect…” These were the words echoing through my mind, drowning out the whirring of the plane engines as we sat on board the plane to Yunnan. We had taken a plane from Singapore to Bangkok earlier and were now on the connecting flight to Lijiang Airport. This trip marked my first time to China in almost 10 years, and my first time ever in Yunnan province. Glancing through the itinerary, I couldn’t help but feel my palms clam up. “Stay overnight at a rural village; do farm work; walk 10km from home to school…” These were things that I had never experienced before growing up in the city. This very feeling of unfamiliarity inadvertently filled the plane ride with feelings of excitement, but also introduced a tinge of anxiety and apprehension. The latter, however, completely dissipated once we left Lijiang airport, where I was greeted by one of the most beautiful towns I had ever seen. Little did I know, this short 2-day trip was about to be one of my life’s most eye-opening experiences so far…
Since the inception of the Generation Z Investment Club (Gen Z), we have placed heavy emphasis on philanthropy. For the uninitiated, Gen Z operates a live investment fund that is fully managed by students. I was awarded the privilege to participate in this trip after winning an internal investing competition. The idea behind this award was for members of Gen Z to understand and appreciate the impact of what we do. The profits from the fund are used to sponsor the college education of students from less privileged backgrounds in China, and this trip allowed me to experience in-person what life for these students were like.
After lodging up for the night, we started off our first morning with brunch with the entire team. Kayla and Wang Ying have been the beneficiaries of the Gen Z scholarships, and today Wang Ying had generously invited us to spend a day over at her village.
We tried some local delicacies – Yunnan is best known for their locally grown potatoes and (apparently) poisonous mushrooms. No amount of poison ever stopped me from chowing down delicious food though!
After lunch we took a car ride to Ninglang County, Paomaping Village, which was where Wang Ying’s home was located. The village was halfway up a mountain and the ride lasted a few hours. Upon our arrival, we alighted to the warm welcome of Wang Ying’s family members who all graciously came out to greet us. Her dad was all dressed up in a fancy suit and her grandma was all donned out in their colorful traditional outfits. He said that we were the first foreigners they’ve seen in their village, so this was a new experience for both of us.
As I looked around the area to get a sense of their way of living, a big learning point occurred to me. They lived in mostly wooden, very “kampung” style homes, and by China’s standards this was supposed to be a Tier 5-6 town. To my surprise, they had no lack of essential technology in the area. They had solar power, heated water, cashless payments, Wi-Fi, and even 5G data connectivity! Perhaps it may just have been my own ignorance, but I was never expecting any high-tech infrastructure to be so readily accessible for a village so far away from the main city and way up in the mountains. This raised the bar in my mind for what a developing area looks like in today’s world.
After the initial pleasantries were exchanged, Wang Ying took us for a short walk around the compound to admire the view. Everything was really serene and peaceful, the roads were decorated with green and pink flora that exuded a mild fragrance.
Back at the house, the family was preparing dinner. This was the most authentic “farm-to-table” experience you can get. Our meal consisted of black chicken, cured pork, buckwheat, and a rich chicken broth. Very unique cuisine and also very different from what you find in the main city, but it was good nonetheless.
After dinner, we got to interview two households on their lifestyles and consumption behavior. Something that stood out to me was that for the people there, their wishes and wants were very fundamental, like hoping that their children get to have a decent education, have them get a job, a home, get married and have kids. They explained that they were thankful for the Gen Z scholarship program as it helped them to support one of their children through school, which is one of their main wishes. At the end of the day, they were genuinely very content with what they already had.
I asked a question about whether they desired anything from the big cities but did not have in their village, and the response was that they’ve never really seen outside of the village, so they don’t feel like they are missing much, and neither did they seem to really care. This gave me learning point 2, in which I felt that the way they perceived happiness was very different from what I knew and was used to. Zero materialism or desire for luxury, but still very much satisfied with life. This was something I admired.
With that, we wrapped up for the night.
On the second day, we embarked on the route that Wang Ying used to take to her primary school. This journey was slightly over 9km, and you literally had to walk down a mountain to get to school. Wang Ying shared that she had to make this trip twice weekly; once on Sunday to get to school, where she resided on the school compound for the week, then once more on Friday to get home, then repeat the cycle two days later. This was necessary as there was no public transport and very few people owned cars in the village. There were only 5 car owners among the 100+ people who lived there. It was even more impressive considering the fact we were walking hands-free, but Wang Ying had to walk this distance with her baggage on her weekly commutes. The journey is much more tolerable with the scenic views and friends you might find along the way.
This walk taught me learning point 3 which was that the whole culture of convenience and comfort is taken so for granted in Singapore. Though I’ve walked longer distances than 10km, say for exercise or in the military, it is the thought of having to do it weekly, whether you like it or not, that was absurd to me. In day-to-day life, a 10-min train delay would leave me disgruntled. Meanwhile, children here are walking 10km for their education.
This was an extremely humbling experience.
After about 4 hours of walking, we finally reached the school and took a commemorative photo. This marked the end of our time in Wang Ying’s home town. From there we hopped on a car and headed back to the main city for an evening of recreation.
Overall, despite being such a short trip, the entire experience resulted in a paradigm shift in the way I viewed developing regions and even the way I approached fulfilment. Through what was a little bit of skill and probably mostly luck, I had won the opportunity to participate in this life-changing trip and I am truly grateful for the experience. After seeing how thankful Wang Ying’s family was for our scholarship program, I have a newfound appreciation for Gen Z and affirm my stance that this is an amazing platform that consistently does what it strives to achieve; deliver financial education to students while finding a way to support important causes. Wang Ying and Kayla have been our proofs of concept, and I hope that moving forward, the scope of our scholarships can be expanded such that we will be able to give back at a larger scale to society. I implore fellow students and investors to continue to support this platform and to help further our cause.
Javier Chan,
Value Investing Program (Southeast Asia Chapter)
同是作为奖学金生的我，这次云南之旅与我而言意义非凡，这让我有机会近距离观察其他地区的贫困学生的真实生活，体会来自相同阶层的我们的不同。
初到云南，最先让我注意到的是花卉作业的极度繁荣，从飞机向下俯瞰，能观察到无数的区域性集聚的大棚，我猜想或许是一些花卉培育区，抑或是一些蔬菜水果种植区……落地后的昆明长水机场，随处可见售卖花卉的人，大抵“东南亚花卉市场”便由此得名。出了机场，给人一种慵懒的轻松感，的士的音乐、擦肩而过的行人、生活节奏是类似于江南的温温慢慢。
次日抵达丽江后，来自世界各地的我们汇聚于一个当地餐馆，尝试了美味的云南菌子以及当地有名的土豆。接着就是长达三小时的车程，前往小颖家中。路上我和Tiffany姐姐聊了我对云南的初印象，这里的隧道有他们各自的名字，途中的桥壁上绘满了彩色的民族故事。住所依山傍水，给人一种不加修饰的和谐感，可能“阡陌交通，鸡犬相闻”大抵如是！山间的墓冢排列整齐，隐隐还有清明祭拜过的痕迹，途中的感受一次又一次激起我对当地民俗文化的好奇！
漫长的旅程结束后，我们终于来到了小颖家中，见到了略显羞涩的叔叔、小颖弟弟以及她的家人们，他们热情大方，让我们宾至如归。小颖带我们逛了逛她家附近，这里的作物许多和甘肃相同：一年收的玉米、荞麦，相同种类的家禽，尽管饮食习惯略有不同，但还是会给我一种人在家乡的感觉！令我感触颇深的是对当地几个家庭的小采访，他们谈到对孩子的期望、对未来的看法……不同的民族、不同的文化、不同的生活方式、相似的生活环境，似乎让我看到了最初的自己。尽管条件比较艰苦，但小颖和她的兄弟姐妹们都有着优异的成绩，都对自己的未来有一些愈加清楚的规划，这让人倍感欣慰！
尤其在Javier和Huiling在谈到自己的感受时，我恍然惊觉：原来Z Club在做的事情真切地在影响Z Club的每一位成员，不止奖学金生！作为一个学生社团，通过投资收益帮助贫困家庭的学生，虽然每年仅资助几名同学，但Z Club在做这件事不只是帮助改善家庭环境，而是重新培育一颗种子，帮助奖学金生看到更远的未来、鼓励我们勇敢成为理想中的自己、改变我们看待事物的方式以及思维模式，进而改变我们的人生航向！Z Club在做的是“抚志而非扶贫”，看见他们花费宝贵的时间、精力在我们身上，教会我们如何变得更好，如何向上成长，我深感幸运得以遇见Z Club！同时Z Club也通过“奖学金项目”影响更多的青年一代，让他们成为乐于助人的一代，影响社会的一代！或许每一件影响未来格局的大事，在一开始都是微不足道的，而Z Club在默默做着这样的事儿！
白永玲,
Z世代俱乐部奖学金得主
从得知俱乐部成员要来我的家乡这个消息，到精心策划并实施，再到旅程圆满结束，我的心情始终处于激动与忐忑之中。此行的目的地是我的故乡——云南省丽江市宁蒗彝族自治县。身为“地主”，我满心期望能够为大家展现一个美好的家乡风貌，留下难忘的回忆。然而，在踏上归乡之路的前一天晚上，我却辗转反侧，夜不能寐，深怕因自己的疏忽而使这次聚会变得不尽如人意。
我们一行人在“涛源木瓜鸡”饭店碰面。这家饭店的名字便透露出它的特色所在——以木瓜鸡为主打的佳肴。还有其他地方特色美食，如炸菌子、狼牙土豆等。我一一向大家介绍这些菜品，大家也都很捧场，情绪价值直接给我拉满。
当我带大家回到家里时，家人们都显得有些局促不安。毕竟，这是他们第一次接待外国客人。然而，他们都在尽力表现出最好的一面，希望为客人们留下深刻的印象。我理解他们的紧张与努力，同时也感受到了一种责任感。大家对我家乡的风土人情充满了好奇，我也很乐意为他们一一解答，介绍这里的各种特色。
在我们坐在一起吃饭聊天时，Shinya问我，在俱乐部的将近两年时光里，我最大的收获是什么？我毫不犹豫地告诉他，结识了很多优秀的朋友以及在俱乐部的工作经历是我最为珍视的。接着，他们询问我对待投资的态度。我深思后坦言，目前我尚未能领略投资的乐趣，但在这个过程中我确实汲取了许多宝贵的经验，对我的人生产生了深远的影响。虽然我未来可能不会从事与投资直接相关的工作，但这段经历无疑是我人生中不可或缺的一部分。
令我欣慰的是，Shinya并未因此感到失望或不满，反而分享了自己的经历。他提到，在最初的两年里，他也曾对投资的意义感到迷茫，但突然有一天他豁然开朗，意识到通过投资可以了解什么是市场，看到其他人不知道的世界。他鼓励我保持耐心，不要给自己太大的压力，也许有一天我也会像他一样爱上投资。
这番话让我如释重负，同时也深受感动。我深知自己的不足，而俱乐部的朋友们始终给予我无私的帮助和支持。Shinya还跟我们说，他创建这个俱乐部的初衷就是希望能与充满活力、才华横溢的年轻人相聚，因为他们所带来的活力和进步会激发他的危机感，促使他不断自我提升。
当大家得知我以前每周都要徒步9公里往返学校时，他们很震惊，并且想要感受一下这个过程。于是第二天吃完早饭我们就开始了徒步。经过三个小时的坚持和努力，我们终于到达了目的地。虽然过程中有些疲惫，但每个人的脸上都洋溢着成就感和满足的笑容。我们证明了自己的能力，也体验了我所经历的日常。
这次旅程让大家更加了解到了我，了解了我的家庭。真的很感激俱乐部一直以来的帮助和鼓励。每次参与俱乐部的活动，都让我感到温暖和振奋。谢谢大家所做的一切！
王颖,
Z世代俱乐部奖学金得主