Chen Chunxian

Chen Chunxian

Chen Chunxian (Chinese:陈春先; 1934 – August 11, 2004) was the founder of the Silicon Valley of China, also known as Zhongguancun.

Chen Chunxian was born in 1934 in Sichuan Province, China. In 1958, he graduated from Moscow University, Department of Physics.

From 1959 to 1986, he was a member of the Chinese Academy of Science, Institute of Physics.

Chen created the first tokamak in China.

As a result of Richard Nixon's efforts and Mao Zedong's agreement, China and the United States engaged in exchanging friendship greetings. On one trip, in 1979, Chen was invited to visit the United States. On this trip, Chen saw Route 128 and Silicon Valley. They both impressed him greatly.

Upon return, on October 23, 1980, Chen Chunxian founded the first non-governmental entity in Zhongguancun, called the "Advanced Technology Service Association" because only government-run entities could be called "company".

Although Chen's company was shut down after investigations, he received validation from the central government in 1983, when Hu Yaobang mentioned him in a national statement. Zhongguancun, and the independent enterprises run-by-individuals, emerged in China.

Although Chen was unable to achieve success with his company, Huaxia Guigu, founded in 1983, he paved the road for future entrepreneurs, most notably Liu Chuanzhi and his company Lenovo.

After living for many years in a poorly maintained apartment and with no health care, Chen Chunxian died on August 11, 2004.