Parade celebrates 70 years of change

Seven generations of beloved domestic truck bring back many memories in Changchun

Even a few weeks later, Li Kai still feels a thrill when he remembers the moment he drove his Jiefang J7 truck in a parade in the city of Changchun in Jilin province on June 26.

The event was organized by FAW Jiefang Automotive Co, a subsidiary of the China FAW Group, a leading automaker based in Changchun, to celebrate the company's 70th anniversary. The parade was formed of 17 trucks, ranging from the first generation FAW Jiefang CA10 truck to the latest generation FAW Jiefang J7. As it wound its way from FAW Jiefang's first factory, passing city landmarks such as Culture Square and People's Square, the parade attracted a lot of attention.

"After the parade notice was published, we received a warm response from the public, especially from drivers of our trucks," said Zhang Guohua, deputy Party secretary of FAW Jiefang. "The 17 trucks, including five from the first generation and two from each of the other six generations, awakened the memories of different generations of drivers, as well as their enthusiasm and sincerity."

Li, 42, runs a transportation company in Mudanjiang, Heilongjiang province. "When I received the invitation from FAW Jiefang about a week in advance of the event, I was busy transporting goods in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region," he said. "I immediately began my return journey because I didn't want to miss such a significant event."

Li drove his Jiefang J7 from Mudanjiang to Changchun on June 24 to prepare for the parade. "My father and some of my other relatives were also truck drivers, so I had plenty of contact with large vehicles as a child, and was really interested in becoming a driver," he said. "My parents weren't keen because they viewed it as a hard job that required a lot of travel to other places."

After graduating from junior high school, Li trained to be a chef, but he never forgot his dream of driving a truck and so in 2005, he quit and joined his father. Seven years later, he started his own transportation company and purchased his first truck — a Jiefang J6.