Yang Shuwen, a 75-year-old retired accountant, tells her personal experiences to the interview host Zhao Ping, an employee of Beijing Memo 99 Culture & Media Co Ltd that writes biographies for clients. The interview was held in an office of the company located in Beijing's Dongcheng district on Nov 25. [Provided to China Daily]

Businesses offer seniors and others a chance to tell the tale of their lives and publish it as their memoirs, Luo Wangshu reports in Beijing.

"It was a tough summer day in 1979. I led my student pilots in their training as usual. ... Suddenly I saw a dust storm running toward our aircraft. We lost depth perception in a moment, and the visibility was only 3 kilometers. ... Landing at 450 km/h would be almost impossible." A preview of a Hollywood movie? No, this is real, the memories of a retired Chinese military pilot, Wang Xinguo. Writing an autobiography is no longer the privilege of celebrities, but a new way for ordinary Chinese people - particularly seniors - to tell their personal stories. A company called Beijing Memo 99 Culture & Media is providing the platform, and it says it has helped produce 300-plus autobiographies since it opened in 2010.

One of them is Wang's, The Military Eagle Never Rests.

In their memory

Wang, born in 1950, served as a military pilot and instructor for 20 years.

"Flying military aircraft is a dangerous mission. We combat pilots were facing death every day and always suffering from the loss of colleagues and friends."

Wang took a deep breath and continued. "I would like to make a record in memory of my beloved friends and students in the past, and encourage current pilots to stick with their choice."

He didn't know where to start, but his daughter Wang Ting told him early in 2011 about Memo 99, which has an office in the building where she works.

It sells a service that is new to China but not to the West. Type "biography writing business" into the Google search engine, and it lists page after page of companies. Your-Life-Your-Story in New Mexico and Scottsdale Multimedia in Arizona, both in the southwestern United States, are just a couple.

"Seniors are keen to talk to people" but young people bury themselves in work and communicate less with their parents and grandparents, said Shen Chen, the media director at Memo 99. "Telling personal stories will help seniors sum up their lives."

In the process of helping them, Shen said, "We aim to provide a new entertainment for lonely seniors and enrich their lives."

How it works

The process generally takes one to four months and costs 19,900 to 49,900 yuan (roughly $3,140 to $7,880), depending on numerous options. Here is how it works at Memo 99.

The customer and a team from the company, including an interviewer and editor, work together on a preliminary outline. Then the interviews begin - at least six of them, each recorded and lasting two to three hours. Some are conducted at the company's office, some at the customer's home.

A writer and editor sort through the information and any photos, poems or small stories the customer wants to contribute. A professional writes the story based on the information, and sends it to the customer to review, usually three times.

Customers have the option of a video memoir, but the books generally run to 200 to 260 pages. Pilot Wang's book is 222 pages long, and the cover includes painting and calligraphy.

Lessons learned

Zhang Jia, a 25-year-old "interview host", went to work for the business after college graduation and said she has interviewed more than 50 customers and written books for them in two years. The work has let her "take a shortcut in my life by listening to experiences" and learning from them, she said.

"A client in her 70s, who never expressed her strong feelings, burst into tears when she talked about her miserable childhood and unfair destiny," Zhang said. "I am very grateful to have given her the opportunity to cry." The two women have become friends.

Another of Zhang's customers forgives people who hurt him during the "cultural revolution" (1966-76), Zhang said, and in turn it has made her more tolerant of grievances. "I feel like I am digging up treasures every day from the senior clients."

She said most clients have felt a deep parental love and wished they had spent more time with their children. "It reminds me to go home at least once a week and spend more time with my parents and grandparents," Zhang said. "I have a better understanding of the hidden love from my parents."

A more vivid life

"I am very pleased to have the memoir book," said Yang Shuwen, who is 75. "I felt my life was more colorful and full of cheer."

She keeps her copy on the bookshelf, where it's easy to grab. "I like to read it when I have leisure time, and send it as a gift to my family."

Yang said she hasn't had the opportunity to tell her stories to her descendents because the young people are always busy, and she doesn't like to express her emotions, especially about her difficult youth and war experiences. But the book built a bridge for her and the family.

"I am waiting for the coming Spring Festival for a family reunion," Yang said. "Then I can share with them."

Jiang Shan, Yang's 23-year-old granddaughter, has read the book and saw in it her grandmother as a vivid person. "I know Granny's boyfriends before my grandpa through reading the book," she said with a laugh. "Although I've lived with Granny since elementary school, I feel that I know much more from the book."