This is the generation that will change China. The youth, over 320 million of them in their teens and twenties, more than the population of the USA. Born after Mao, with no memory of Tiananmen, they are destined to transform both their nation and the world.

These millennials, offspring of the one-child policy, face fierce competition to succeed. Pressure starts young, and their road isn't easy. Their stories are also like those of young people all over the world: moving out of home, starting a career, falling in love.

Wish Lanterns follows the lives of six young Chinese. Dahai is a military child and netizen; 'Fred' is a daughter of the Party. Lucifer is an aspiring superstar; Snail a country migrant addicted to online games. Xiaoxiao is a hipster from the freezing north; Mia a rebel from Xinjiang in the far west.

Alec Ash, a writer in Beijing of the same generation, has given us a vivid, gripping account of young China as it comes of age. Through individual stories, Wish Lanterns shows with empathy and insight the challenges and dreams that will define China's future global impact.

这一代人将改变中国。这些年轻人，超过3.2亿的十几岁和二十几岁的年轻人，比美国的人口还要多。他们在毛泽东之后出生，对天安门没有记忆，注定要改变他们的国家和世界。

这些千禧一代是独生子女政策的后代，面临着激烈的成功竞争。压力始于年轻，他们的道路并不容易。他们的故事也和全世界的年轻人一样：搬出家门、开始职业生涯、坠入爱河。

心愿灯》讲述了六个中国年轻人的生活。大海是一名军人子女和网民；'弗雷德'是一名党的女儿。路西法是一个有抱负的超级明星；蜗牛是一个沉迷于网络游戏的乡村移民。晓晓是来自冰天雪地的北方的潮人；米娅是来自遥远西部的新疆的叛逆者。

艾力克-艾什，一位在北京的同代作家，为我们提供了一个生动的、扣人心弦的关于年轻中国的时代背景的描述。通过个人故事，《心愿灯》以同情心和洞察力展示了将决定中国未来全球影响力的挑战和梦想。