For decades, one of the most influential works of speculative fiction has remained largely unknown outside China. The Morning Star of Lingao is a sprawling, crowdsourced web novel that imagines a group of modern Chinese engineers traveling back to the Ming Dynasty with the explicit goal of triggering an industrial revolution centuries ahead of schedule. The story, totaling millions of words, isn’t just a fantastical thought experiment—it’s a window into the core ideology driving China’s relentless modernization and national ambition.
The Time-Traveling Engineers
The premise is simple: a team of over 500 engineers, disillusioned with China’s progress, use a wormhole to land in 17th-century China. Their mission isn’t cultural exchange or diplomacy; it’s brutal efficiency. They bring modern knowledge, not to uplift, but to dominate —to ensure that China, not Europe, becomes the first industrialized superpower. The novel, begun in 2006 on a military message board, quickly became a collective obsession, attracting writers and thinkers who saw industrialization as the only path to national redemption.
This fascination isn’t random. The Ming Dynasty represents a painful historical turning point for China: a period of decline while Europe surged ahead. The question of “Why did modern science develop in Europe but not in China?” has haunted Chinese intellectuals for generations. Lingao offers a ruthless answer: time travel, forced acceleration, and an unapologetic focus on material power.
The Rise of the “Industrial Party”
The novel’s influence extends far beyond fictional entertainment. Around 2011, as China’s internet matured, Lingao became a breeding ground for a real-world movement dubbed the “Industrial Party.” This wasn’t a formal political faction but an informal network of tech enthusiasts, economists, and nationalist thinkers who championed industrialization above all else. They believed that democracy, human rights, or ethical concerns were secondary to the imperative of building.
One key figure, Ma Qianzu (based on the real-life engineer Ren Chonghao), embodied this ethos. The novel’s protagonist is a direct reflection of his conviction that relentless technological progress justifies any means. As China’s economy exploded, the Industrial Party’s worldview gained traction. Xi Jinping’s emphasis on manufacturing, state-led development, and technological dominance echoes their core beliefs.
The Cracks Appear
But the Industrial Party’s vision isn’t monolithic. In recent years, doubts have emerged. China’s demographic crisis, youth unemployment, and unsustainable debt have forced even staunch advocates to reconsider the “build at all costs” approach. Some key figures, like Ma Qianzu himself, now acknowledge that industrial output alone can’t solve deeper societal problems.
The generation that once embraced Lingao ‘s relentless optimism has begun to question whether endless growth can fill the void left by a loss of meaning. The novel, once a source of national pride, now feels like a relic of a bygone era—a reminder that even the most ambitious engineering projects can’t guarantee prosperity or happiness.
Ultimately, The Morning Star of Lingao serves as a stark reflection of China’s national obsession with industrialization, a testament to a worldview that prioritizes power over all else. The novel’s enduring legacy lies not in its fantastical premise, but in its brutal honesty about the sacrifices required to achieve it.
