Chen Chunxian
Encyclopedia
Chen Chunxian （Chinese:陈春先, 1934-August 11, 2004） was the founder of the Silicon Valley
of China, also known as Zhongguancun
.
Chen Chunxian was born in 1934 in Sichuan
Province, China. In 1958, he graduated from Moscow University, Department of Physics
.
From 1959 to 1986, he was a member of the Chinese Academy of Science, Institute of Physics.
Chen created the first tokamak
in China.
As a result of Richard Nixon
's efforts and Mao Zedong
's agreement, China and the United States engaged in exchanging friendship greetings. On one trip, in 1979, Chen was invited to visit the United States. On this trip, Chen saw Route 128 and Silicon Valley. They both impressed him greatly.
Upon return, on October 23, 1980, Chen Chunxian founded the first non-governmental entity in Zhongguancun, called the "Advanced Technology Service Association" because only government-run entities could be called "company".
Although Chen's company was shut down after investigations, he received validation from the central government in 1983, when Hu Yaobang mentioned him in a national statement. Zhongguancun, and the independent enterprises run-by-individuals, emerged in China.
Although Chen was unable to achieve success with his company, Huaxia Guigu, founded in 1983, he paved the road for future entrepreneurs, most notably Liu Chuanzhi
and his company Lenovo.
After living for many years in a poorly maintained apartment and with no health care, Chen Chunxian died on August 11, 2004.
Silicon Valley
Silicon Valley is a term which refers to the southern part of the San Francisco Bay Area in Northern California in the United States. The region is home to many of the world's largest technology corporations...
of China, also known as Zhongguancun
Zhongguancun
Zhongguancun , or Zhong Guan Cun, is a technology hub in Haidian District, Beijing, China.It is geographically situated in the northwestern part of Beijing city, in a band between the northwestern Third Ring Road and the northwestern Fourth Ring Road...
.
Chen Chunxian was born in 1934 in Sichuan
Sichuan
' , known formerly in the West by its postal map spellings of Szechwan or Szechuan is a province in Southwest China with its capital in Chengdu...
Province, China. In 1958, he graduated from Moscow University, Department of Physics
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
.
From 1959 to 1986, he was a member of the Chinese Academy of Science, Institute of Physics.
Chen created the first tokamak
Tokamak
A tokamak is a device using a magnetic field to confine a plasma in the shape of a torus . Achieving a stable plasma equilibrium requires magnetic field lines that move around the torus in a helical shape...
in China.
As a result of Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
's efforts and Mao Zedong
Mao Zedong
Mao Zedong, also transliterated as Mao Tse-tung , and commonly referred to as Chairman Mao , was a Chinese Communist revolutionary, guerrilla warfare strategist, Marxist political philosopher, and leader of the Chinese Revolution...
's agreement, China and the United States engaged in exchanging friendship greetings. On one trip, in 1979, Chen was invited to visit the United States. On this trip, Chen saw Route 128 and Silicon Valley. They both impressed him greatly.
Upon return, on October 23, 1980, Chen Chunxian founded the first non-governmental entity in Zhongguancun, called the "Advanced Technology Service Association" because only government-run entities could be called "company".
Although Chen's company was shut down after investigations, he received validation from the central government in 1983, when Hu Yaobang mentioned him in a national statement. Zhongguancun, and the independent enterprises run-by-individuals, emerged in China.
Although Chen was unable to achieve success with his company, Huaxia Guigu, founded in 1983, he paved the road for future entrepreneurs, most notably Liu Chuanzhi
Liu Chuanzhi
Liu Chuanzhi is a Chinese businessman. Liu is the founder of Lenovo, the second largest computer maker in the world, and remains the paramount leader of the firm.-Lenovo:...
and his company Lenovo.
After living for many years in a poorly maintained apartment and with no health care, Chen Chunxian died on August 11, 2004.