20 issues · 20 people — our stories with YIJU

 

Ening, founding adviser

In 2012, Pauline proposed an ambitious goal that seemed almost impossible at the time: to launch a Chinese-language magazine covering architecture and construction in New Zealand while the global financial crisis was still receding. Moved by her conviction, I joined the team producing YIJU's inaugural issue.

After a long period of preparation, we finally created YIJU's inaugural issue from scratch. It caused quite a stir in the Chinese community at the time. That opportunity also gave me the courage and confidence to enter the property industry.

In the blink of an eye, YIJU has been alongside New Zealand's Chinese construction industry for almost 10 years. I am deeply grateful to it. Thankful that our paths crossed and looking to the future, I wish YIJU continued progress and ever greater achievements.

 

Jiayu Li, former graphic designer

Time flies, and YIJU has been part of my personal growth. Looking back, everything from YIJU New Zealand's initial branding and website design to the design of each magazine issue involved countless rounds of hard work and refinement. Readers' recognition of the results brought me the greatest joy in my work. Hearing friends describe YIJU's property information and analysis as the most authentic, professional and precise always fills me with emotion.

These 20 magazine issues bring together remarkable achievements while also marking a fresh starting point. I look forward to YIJU continuing to offer readers comprehensive property information from many perspectives and at different levels, becoming the Chinese community's most authoritative property information platform.

 

Yang Jia, former photographer

In 2013, I was fortunate to take part in and witness YIJU's entire journey from an idea to reality. From Pauline's initial concept, we pooled our ideas to develop an outline, collected and organised material, invited experts from various fields to write, then moved on to photography, design, layout and printing. I still remember the mixture of emotions I felt when I finally held the magazine, fresh with the smell of ink:

It was the early days, after all, and our team was not as fully developed as it is today. I drove our editor Kai around for interviews and photography, then returned to the office to stay up late with graphic designer Jiayu, selecting material, designing and laying out pages. I also helped organise some of the written content. There were times of doubt and uncertainty, but Pauline's confidence and belief in YIJU inspired every member of our team. We persevered and completed a challenge that had seemed impossible.

Although it has been some time since I left YIJU, I still read every issue and regularly browse its WeChat official account. I am sincerely delighted to see YIJU doing better and better. Now that YIJU has published 20 issues, I have every reason to believe it will continue producing even more compelling content and become the industry's most authoritative media platform.

Kai Deng, former editor

In 2015, I met Pauline through a friend's introduction and had the pleasure of reading her magazine 《YIJU》。Like YIJU's founding team members, we shared a passion for the property market, and so I accepted Pauline's invitation，to serve as 《YIJU》 magazine's part-time editor-in-chief, taking part in the work on YIJU issues 3 and 4, including production and distribution。

 Every issue of the magazine, created from scratch, from outline to final publication, embodied the team's dedication. Those days of racking our brains to uncover hot topics in the market、and working late into the night remain vivid in my memory; alongside other team members, I also helped prepare and run online and in-person activities of all sizes，including interviews with the housing and construction ministry、visits to representative families in Auckland's well-known school zones、in-person information sessions and more; I also witnessed a surge in followers of YIJU's WeChat official account. In the blink of an eye, 《YIJU》 is about to release issue 20！Today, both YIJU's magazine and its WeChat official account have become leaders in information for New Zealand's property and construction industries. Under Pauline's leadership, I wish YIJU every success in realising its ambitions and going from strength to strength!

 

James Sun, former editor

The seasons have winter, each day has night, and every tide ebbs.

Winter, darkness and low tides are not confined to the passing days and years. Every walk of life and every industry has its own periods of cold, darkness and desolation.

Take publishing, the industry YIJU belongs to. In an age of fast-moving, chaotic information, a printed publication carrying the scent of ink stands apart. Most readers have grown accustomed to forgetting the benefits of opening a book, absorbed instead in the small screens of their phones, in countless sensational news headlines and short videos with noisy soundtracks, believing knowledge and information can be understood and absorbed just as easily this way. Through its commitment to content quality, YIJU has held its ground as a place where information moves at a gentler pace.

Like plum blossoms opening on a winter night or pebbles revealed by the ebbing tide, it resists trends that have become the norm, preserving a subtle fragrance and clarity within New Zealand's Chinese-language information landscape.

A magazine requires topics to be developed, interviews conducted, articles written, pages laid out and designed, before it can be printed and published. Information therefore moves slowly at YIJU. Slowness means waiting, and waiting allows expectations to mature from 'enough to satisfy an appetite' into 'a pursuit of depth'.

Lay past issues of YIJU side by side on a desk, and before you is a history of New Zealand's property and construction industries over recent years: their ups and downs and the lessons learned, all available to revisit.

By looking back at history, we gain experience. Experience strengthens our judgement, and ultimately makes us wiser.

Not every way of communicating information supports this important method of learning through looking back.

That is the value of YIJU and the medium it represents.

As someone who once wrote for YIJU, I felt sincerely heartened to hear that it was approaching issue 20, at a time when both the international climate and the relevant New Zealand industries feel so cold.

The seasons have winter, each day has night, and every tide ebbs.

But winter ends and spring returns, the deepest night gives way to dawn, and the ebbing tide must rise again.

Hope is never far away.

 

Lesley Song, executive editor

In 2014, I came to New Zealand on a working holiday visa. A friend introduced me to Pauline, and I became an editor at YIJU. The visa allowed me to work legally for only three months. During those months, I helped complete YIJU's third issue and grew its WeChat official account from 1000+ followers to 5000+. Then, with great reluctance, I had to leave YIJU.

What I had not expected was that, even after leaving New Zealand for Vancouver, my connection with YIJU was far from over. I returned by proofreading issue 7 and became executive editor from issue 13, spending 5 years alongside YIJU. Over those 5 years, we battled countless little monsters. Yet seeing the final results, that thick stack of magazines filled with our hard work, made the struggles feel worthwhile.

YIJU issue 20 marks a fresh starting point and the beginning of another 5 years. I hope to spend the next five years happily alongside YIJU and our readers, serving as your trusted strategist and friend on your journey through property investment, development and construction.

 

Will Zhang, former manager

Mention 2016, and people may remember the booming property industry, the rise of the investment sector, or perhaps their own personal and business growth. For me, the highlight of 2016 was the moment I landed in New Zealand and began a new life.

My story with YIJU began with a desire for information on quality living and a need to integrate into local life. Three months after arriving in Auckland, I was honoured to join Zhuojia Communications and YIJU as general manager, helping run the business through a period of rapid growth in property and construction.

Pauline's dedication to understanding the property sector and analysing its target market has always given me confidence in YIJU's future. Although I left several years ago, I have continued to follow YIJU's development as a client and reader.

I wish YIJU even greater things beyond issue 20 and look forward to reading more precise, insightful content.

 

Hailey Hou, graphic designer

In 2019, after graduating from university, I was fortunate to join YIJU and MultiMarketing and begin working in graphic design. From first helping design YIJU issue 12 to the current issue 20, I have learned so much over more than three years. From my initial nervousness about taking on the magazine to the confidence I feel today, I am happy to have witnessed both my own growth and YIJU's development. I am also grateful that the company gave me a platform to grow when I was just entering the workforce.

Before we knew it, YIJU had reached issue 20. Along the way, our team overcame the many difficulties brought by the pandemic and continued to forge ahead. We will keep moving forward together with courage!

 

Lucy Wang, account manager

Looking back, it has been more than three years since I joined the MultiMarketing and YIJU team.

I am very grateful to Pauline for giving me an opportunity when I knew little about construction. This professional platform has allowed me to work alongside like-minded colleagues, learning and growing together through practical experience.

In 2019, the company took on marketing for the New Zealand International Building Expo and Summit as a co-organiser for the first time. Despite tight deadlines and a demanding workload, the whole team worked together, combining YIJU's online and offline channels to deliver a highly effective campaign that earned recognition from the organisers, the industry and the public.

Over the following two years, we won several major clients together and weathered the upheaval of pandemic lockdowns. There were moments of joy and difficulty, but above all I felt moved, because our clients' support and the team's unity were always there.

 

Lilly Deng, former account manager

In 2018, I came to New Zealand alone on a student visa. As a mature international student, starting a new life in an unfamiliar country was far from easy. Fortunately, I met Pauline in May 2019 and became part of YIJU. 

During my three years at YIJU, I was fortunate to help distribute issues 11 to 19. I witnessed the hard work behind every issue, the meticulous care given to every WeChat article, the twists and turns behind every interview, and the pursuit of excellence in every design.

During my three years at YIJU, I worked with the team to prepare and run online and in-person activities of all sizes. We shared the uncertainty of lockdown and the rebuilding that followed the pandemic, and witnessed the surge in followers of YIJU's WeChat official account and the launch of its WeChat Channels account.

Thank you, YIJU, for giving me the warmth of a large family and supporting me through my most difficult times in New Zealand. We faced the successes and setbacks of work together and shared life's joys and sorrows. We sometimes argued our cases fiercely at work, yet continued to encourage one another in life and move forward together. Today, YIJU has come into its own as a leader in information for New Zealand's property and construction sectors. I wish YIJU a bright future and every success in realising its ambitions!

Now, as everyone's work and lives gradually return to normal, the YIJU and MultiMarketing team is also growing. I sincerely wish YIJU continued success, with each of the next twenty issues more exciting and more eagerly anticipated than the last!

 

Bernard Leung, investment adviser

Several years ago, I was fortunate to join YIJU as a specialist adviser on commercial and residential property investment. I have spent more than 20 years in Auckland's property market and viewed countless properties. I have also bought and sold many commercial and residential properties myself, building considerable experience. I own several commercial and residential properties too, and understand property management, maintenance and repairs well. Pauline therefore invited me to advise YIJU on property investment. Having moved to New Zealand with my parents as a child, I also understand the local culture and share the lifestyle of other locals. Within the YIJU team, I therefore serve as a bridge between Chinese and Western cultures.

In future, I hope to make full use of my strengths to better serve YIJU's readers and clients, sharing valuable information and hard-earned experience to help everyone find more opportunities and avoid more pitfalls.

 

Tony Liang, UI and UX designer

I became a loyal reader of YIJU's WeChat official account back in 2017. Alongside its thoughtful property articles and in-depth, professional industry analysis, the elegant, clean layouts of YIJU's magazine and WeChat account impressed me, even with my exacting standards for design. Both the layouts and font choices showed great care.

In 2019, I was fortunate to join the YIJU family. I gained a deeper understanding of its dedication to cultivating expertise in the property sector, as well as its pioneering spirit in exploring the internet, mini programmes and UGC (user-generated content). I believe YIJU's quality content will bring even greater value to companies and individuals in related fields in the years ahead.

 

Danni Shi, events lead

I first learned about YIJU in 2016, never imagining that five years later, in 2021, I would become part of the team.

Looking back, I have been at YIJU for only a year and a half, yet have already shared many storms and sunny days with like-minded colleagues. Over the past year or so, we have overcome the challenges of the pandemic and successfully held dozens of events of all sizes.

At YIJU, we do not impose limits or confine ourselves. Instead, we embrace an inclusive, open and positive outlook. This atmosphere has inspired me greatly and helped me grow.

For me, being able to take part in and witness the editing and publication of YIJU issue 20 is especially meaningful. I look forward to sharing more wonderful experiences with YIJU and wish it continued success!

 

Saprina Cui, account manager

'YIJU is a highly capable company with a promising future.' That was how Mr Ren of the Wanfang speciality products chain introduced YIJU to me. He showed me a honey traceability advertisement planned by YIJU and a logo designed especially for the Metropolitan Museum. They immediately caught my eye!

So, when I had the opportunity to meet YIJU founder Pauline, I did not hesitate to ask for a chance to work there. After joining YIJU, I discovered a team of energetic young people with both talent and intelligence. The future looks bright!

 

William Song, new media editor

I first read YIJU magazine around 7 or 8 years ago. As New Zealand's first and only Chinese-language magazine for the property and construction industries, YIJU has been my main source of property information and practical investment knowledge ever since.

I never imagined that one day I would join YIJU New Zealand, which had been part of my life for so many years, as its new media editor-in-chief. Yes, alongside the magazine, YIJU shares authoritative industry information through its WeChat official account, WeChat Channels, website and other media, serving users with different needs.

In future, I hope everyone will join us in making YIJU New Zealand, our Chinese community's own multimedia platform for property and construction, better and better!

 

Cice Chen, account manager

I have been in New Zealand for only a little over half a year, and at YIJU for just a month. My work began on a cold winter's day, but the YIJU family has brought warmth to the season.

Before my interview, I searched for YIJU on WeChat and discovered that, as far back as 2016, I had shared articles from its official account several times in my Moments and everyday chat groups.

Now I have joined the YIJU family, working with a group of good-looking, interesting and highly capable colleagues. The office is filled with laughter every day. Everyone is busy with their own work, but also helps one another. Whenever I encounter a problem, my colleagues explain things patiently. Even when they have worked out how to use software themselves, they generously demonstrate and explain everything to help me settle into my new role more quickly. No amount of words could express my gratitude to these colleagues and my boss.

My story with YIJU is still only beginning, but I am sure it will grow longer and richer. By next year, perhaps I will have enough to write a novel.

 

Ivan Yam, account manager

YIJU is more than a WeChat official account. I only realised this when I sat opposite Pauline in the MultiMarkting office. Its magazine, WeChat platform, website, online and in-person events and seminars are all stages for YIJU. Across these stages, it has spent years integrating and communicating content for specialist sectors such as New Zealand construction and property.

It is hard to put your head down and cultivate quality content in an age when everyone is looking up to take selfies. New Zealand may seem like an isolated island far from the bustle, but it is full of aspirations, with people striving for their livelihoods and futures. For me, encountering this group of people has been an indescribably fortunate turn of fate. Together, we can slow down, sit with each interviewee and tell their New Zealand stories, word by word. I believe that, looking back years from now, you too will find that, whatever its stage, YIJU has been sharing values and a way of life unique to New Zealand.

 

Angel Zhou, finance

I first encountered YIJU at a large exhibition. It was also the first Chinese-language magazine I discovered after coming to New Zealand. It gave me a comprehensive understanding of property investment and construction here, changed my perspective on New Zealand, and gradually helped me fall in love with this peaceful country.

After joining YIJU, I hope that through my work and close collaboration with the team, we can do our utmost to provide better service and support for the development of New Zealand's property and construction industries. Let's all keep striving!

 

Sonya Wang, guest editor

With its evening news updates, quarterly magazine and annual building expo, YIJU's comprehensive content and varied perspectives have secured a highly engaged readership in Auckland's Chinese community. Whenever I want professional property opinions or information on current topics, I always pay YIJU a visit.

Having been a reader, a friend and now a contributing writer, I admire the YIJU team's news sense, ability to bring resources together, and professional approach to marketing. Over the long term, New Zealand's property market trends upwards overall. With its experience and professionalism, the YIJU team is sure to make steady progress for many years to come.