China 1958-1965

In Chapter 13 of Wild Swans, the author narrates some personal recollections of growing up at this time. You will hear insights into social practices. What stays in your mind, or seems to explain some of the culture around you in Hong Kong?

Famine 1958-1962

The Great Leap Forward took agricultural workers away from the normal patterns of planting and harvest, set people working on steel production, and developed the commune organisation.

The technological 'progress' took place alongside a policy of exaggerating crop yield, transplanting crops to demonstrate 'success' for Mao, and a culture of self-deception/self-protection within the local organisations. Soon, people began to starve.

There is a more information about this history here, on the History Learning Site. A video on Youtube tells the story with recollections of people who were children at this time.

1956-1958 the Anti-rightist campaign

These years are a key point in China's recent history; the impact of the Anti-rightist campaign conducted during this time continues to be felt today.

I'll read Chapter 11 of Wild Swans, let's read the voices of the time, find out about the Anti-rightist campaign, and find out a little about Ding Ling.

State nurseries

The four children in the family are sent to boarding nurseries while the author's mother is put under investigation. Chapter 10 of Wild Swans outlines how this works under the Mao campaign to discover the hidden 'counterrevolutionaries'.

There are many examples in history where a ruling power, government or state seeks to split apart families or separate mothers from children. Why might they do that?