Search

Wang Laiguo (b. 1938) is a resident of Wutai Village, Shaanxi Province. In this interview, Wang recalls his lifelong hardship and talked about the situation during the Great Famine and the Cultural Revolution. Wang was adopted by a relative when he was 11 and worked for that family for 8 years. In 1959, Wang went to work as a worker in Ningxia for two years. At that time, the villagers couldn't leave the village freely, so Wang had to lie about leaving the village to see a doctor. That year Wang made 120 Yuan. In 1961 after Wang came back to the village, he started to work as the production team leader, and later became the secretary and brigade leader. In total Wang worked as a cadre for 45 years. When he was the brigade leader, Wang sometimes had to carry his beddings, bowls and chopsticks on his back and walked for a whole day to attend meetings in Zichang County.

Wang Laixiang (b. 1942) is a resident of Zhanggao Village, Heguan Town, Qingzhou City, Shandong Province. In this interview, Wang talks about the messy management of grain during the Great Leap Forward, the limited food supply during the Great Famine, and his experience of being criticized at the stuggle session because of his class status at the production team. The filmmaker's description of this interview has been translated into English.

Wang Laosan (b. 1947) is a resident of Oujiatang Village, Longquan Town, Xintian County, Yongzhou City, Hunan Province. In this interview, Wang recalls how he was sent back to the countryside from school to participate in constructing ditches in 1959, and how he suffered from hunger in the people's commune canteen and thus ate wild herbs. The transcript of this interview has been translated into English.

Biographical information. Faculty/Staff