Debra Li

debra_lidan@163.com

Nearly 500 teachers and students attended a lecture by CCTV (China Central Television) hostess Zhu Xun at Shenzhen University on Friday afternoon.

The No. 1 auditorium at the school’s Science and Technology Building was fully packed with an enthusiastic audience despite heavy rain.

“I was guided by three teachers during my college years,” Zhu told the audience. “The first teacher was my dream; the second was the various setbacks I’ve been confronted with; and the third was the traditional wisdom of never cutting corners and doing things the ‘foolish way.’”

People may frequently find themselves at life’s crossroads after they enter university: from small things like choosing the courses, to big things like choosing a career or finding the love of their life.

“There is no perfect choice most of the time,” the hostess said. “Any choice has its own merits and defects. I always listened to my instinct and asked myself what’s the most important thing when faced with decisions. Never let other people make a decision for you, because you are the person responsible for your own life and you will regret if something goes wrong.”

Born in Beijing, Zhu got her first taste of fame at 15 acting a small role in a film. At 17, she left home to study in Japan, taking part-time jobs including cleaning toilets to pay for her tuition fees and living expenses. Later she entered NHK, becoming its first Chinese mainland employee. Returning to Beijing after 10 years, she had a short jobless period but soon seized an opportunity to enter CCTV.

“As a young person, you’d better be bold and aim high,” she advised. “Your ability is the ceiling, and your tolerance for hardships is the bottom line. In between, there is a whole lot of things you can achieve,” she said.

During the lecture, Zhu also lamented the rising number of young suicides in recent years. “People worry about many things, but worrying doesn’t help. Accept things that you cannot change; work hard to deal with those you can. “When I get really frustrated, I’ll clean my home and sort things out, which helps me feel better and calm down,” she said. Zhu answered questions from the audience and signed her new book “A Xun” for them after the lecture.

Shenzhen University was Zhu’s 67th stop among her 100-Chinese university-tour to share her stories.