Childhood

My father was born in Bengbu, China, an inland city 300 miles from Shanghai. In Bengbu, there is a small mountain called Tu Mountain. Tu was the name of the wife of China's first ruler during its first dynasty, Xia Dynasty’s Yu the Great. My family's name originated from this time period.

At 7 years old, Jun, his brother Bing, and his parents relocated in a small mountainous town in the Jilin province of China. There, Jun and his brother attended local elementary and middle schools. They both reflect on this time period as their "most memorable childhood years, as there was relatively less study burden in school and more fun time playing around".

After my grandfather was discharged from the military in 1982, Jun and his family moved back to Bengbu, his hometown. There, he attended more rigorous schooling. During this time, Jun utilized the majority of his time studying. My father's nose was always buried in a book. Jun developed an early interest for philosophy and social studies. These subjects were treated as "side" subjects by his parents and teachers; they believed studying these topics in college would not lead to a successful future. Jun was an extremely talented kid. He won many events similar to the geography bee and Jeopardy in the U.S., and he earned a national award for his philosophical writing. During his studying, Jun learned about other nations and their cultures, which "planted seeds for [his] interest in traveling and exploring."