This book provides new research on Zhiqing, the first generation brought up after the establishment of the People's Republic of China and regarded as a lost generation during the Cultural Revolution. Presenting a remembrance of their tortuous life trajectories, the book investigates their distinctive identity and self-identification. It takes a social psychological perspective and is unique in its use of first-hand materials, compiling individuals' memories collected from in-depth interviews. This innovative research offers an informative induction of the topic and also contributes to the development of contemporary Chinese studies by laying the foundation for a specialized Zhiqing study.

Weiyi Wu is a postdoctoral research fellow at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China. Her research interests cover youth studies, life course, identity and global mobility, with a cultural studies approach.

Fan Hong is Professor of Asian Studies of Bangor University, UK. She is academic editor of The International Journal of the History of Sport. Her research interests are in the areas of culture, politics, gender and sport and she has published extensively in these fields, including the books Footbinding, Feminism and Freedom: the Liberation of Women's Bodies in Modern China (1997) and Communists and Champions: the Politicisation of Sport in Modern China ((2013).

1. Finding the "Lost Generation" 2. Linking Zhiqing's Life Trajectories to Social History 3. To the Wider World: Group-identity Configuration I (1967-1981) 4. Drops of Water in the Ocean: Group-identity Configuration II (1980s-present) 5. The Identity of Zhiqing: Approach and Conclusion