It was a frigid night on March 17, although spring had ostensibly arrived in Beijing. Despite the chill, the Tiny Salt pub in the Central Business District was busy, humming to the noise of chatter and laughter. Revelers had come to see a performance in memory of Wang Luobin, a renowned Chinese songwriter, which had been put on by the bar’s owner, Qiao Xiaodao. Qiao, who was also the master of ceremonies for the evening, was in his element on stage, and it was hard to imagine that he once worked as a welder upon arriving in Beijing more than 12 years ago. He actually welded the dazzling Chinese characters on the side of Zhongguancun district’s Hailong Building. His rags-to-riches story started even earlier, when he and his father earned a living recycling garbage in their hometown in Northeast China.

Now, Qiao is well known as a musician, designer, exhibition planner, poet, editor-in-chief of a magazine, and as CEO of a cultural communication company. His 12-year stay in the capital has seen him undergo a miraculous transformation, and he now boasts a decent car, and a luxurious 300-square-meter home. Perhaps it is appropriate to label his experiences as the epitome of the Chinese dream.

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