In the name of building the nation

People's stories portray multiple faces of the country's growth since its founding, Zhang Zhouxiang and Aybek Askhar report.

Editor's note: Jianguo became a popular given name for children born after New China's founding. China Daily follows the stories of three people who share the name but have had very different life experiences.

There was a surge in given names representing New China and hopes for a prosperous and strong nation, following the founding of the People's Republic of China on Oct 1, 1949.