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Zhu Shunlian (b. 1937) was born in Zhushan County, Shiyan City, Hubei Province, and moved to Diaoyutai Village (Yindian Town, Suizhou City, Hubei Province) in 1988. Her husband was once the production team leader. In this interview, Zhu recalls that she and her husband worked at Zhushan mine and ate at the People's Commune canteen in 1959. The food available in the canteen and households included buckwheat, corn flour, grass root, rice chaff, tree leaves, chingma abutilon seed and wild walnut, as well as a mixture made of soy milk, pumpkin leaves, string bean leaves, potato leaves and wild plants. Zhu also remembers that some people from Sichuan escaped to Hubei because of the famine.

Includes speech drafts, in Russian

articles (incl. Russian)

Zhu Guangjian (b. 1941) is a resident of Diaoyutai Village, Yindian Town, Suizhou City, Hubei Province. Zhu believes that the grain shortage was because China needed to pay debt to the Soviet Union with grain. But later in the interview, he also talks about the boasting and exaggeration of grain production during 'the transitional period'. Since 1958 people could eat in the People's Commune Canteen for free. Soon the commune canteen failed to feed the people, who began to eat wild herbs, tree barks, corn leaves, water grass and chaff. In 1959 Zhu participated in the construction of Handan Railway because he could have more food there. Zhu recalls that most fellow villagers died of starvation were adults. The transcript of this interview has been translated into English.

Includes one digital video; digital prints in various sizes, transparency film prints, and various paper materials for project in 40 in Chinese (Mandarin) and English.

clippings (incl. Russian)

Zhou Yangjiao (b. 1933), who raised ten children, is a resident of Changxing Village, Gaolong Town, Chaling County, Hunan Province. In this interview, Zhou recalls how she ate tree bark and wild herbs to survive 1960, and how her neighbors gave her food because they sympathized with her for the heavy burden of raising so many children. The filmmaker's description of this interview has been translated into English.

Zhou Xueying (b. 1940) is a resident of Changxing Village, Gaolong Town, Chaling County, Hunan Province. She was born in a nearby town called Zhoubi, and married to a man in Changxing Village in 1961. In this interview, Zhou recalls how she raised rabbits for a state farm, which was established in Zhoubi Town in 1958, and how this state farm distributed more grains than other People's Communes.

Biographical information. Faculty/Staff

Zhou Qiaozhen (b. 1945) is a resident of Jimingqiao Village, Baiyun Town, Shimen County, Hunan Province. In this interview, Zhou recalls how her mother was caught by the local leaders because her going out begging for food brought shame to the government, how her brother committed suicide by hanging because he was afraid of being criticized for stealing two sweet potatoes, and how her father died from cave-in when producing charcoal.

Zhou Nianying (b. 1940) is a resident of Changxing Village, Gaolong Town, Chaling County, Hunan Province. She was born in a nearby town called Zhoubi, and married to a man in Changxing Village in 1957. In this interview, Zhou recalls how she participated in constructing blast furnace as a pregnant woman during the Great Leap Forward, and how she starved for limited food supplies during the Great Famine.

Zhou Maoxiang (b.1939) is a resident of Caojia Village, Hengyang County, Hengyang City, Hunan Province. In this interview, Zhou recalls experiences during the Great Famine. She still clearly remembers the different kinds of wild weeds people ate then. One time, Xu Zuqing was tied up by the secretary because of stealing from the field; afraid of being struggled, she escaped but then drowned to death in a resevoir. Besdies, during struggle sessions, poor peasants determined class statuses, and some landlords were burned by red-hot irons. The filmmaker's description of this interview has been translated into English.

Zhou Jinnian recalled that many people died of starvation in 1959 because the village production team leader sold all grain to the state. Villagers went to look for edible wild vegetable in the wood when they were hungry.

Zhou Jianying (b. 1934), the older sister of another interviewee, Zhou Xueying, is a resident of Changxing Village, Gaolong Town, Chaling County, Hunan Province. Zhou was born in the nearby Zhoubi Town, and married a man in Changxing Village in 1952. In 1958, Zhou worked for the production team during pregnancy until labor. Her working points were deducted because of going back home to feed her child. In 1960, Zhou's husband with several other villagers escaped to Jinggang Mountain of Jiangxi Province, where they could get more food by participating in the construction work. Zhou was punished to work more as the wife of the escaped criminal. During this period, some peasants from the nearby You County came to Changixing Village to sell their clothes and children because of the famine. She remembers that during the Cultural Revolution, the Red Flag Army, leaders of the Land Reform, were criticized. The filmmaker's description of this interview has been translated into English.

Zhou Huodi (b.1932) is a resident of Zhaixia Village, Pengzhai Town, Heping County, Heyuan City, Guangdong Province. During the three years of the Great Famine, Zhou's husband sold vats to get potatoes, corns and wheat. She once lived on just rice, not suffering too much from the hunger. Afterwards, people got so hungry that they started stealing food. Zhou ate pork out of a dead pig, which made her out of milk, and her less-than-one-year-old daughter starved to death as a result. Many people died back then, including Zhou's Uncle and mother; people refused to help burying her mother's body unless they were given food in return.

Zhou Chengyou (b. 1941) is a resident of Diaoyutai Village, Yindian Town, Suizhou City, Hubei Province. He was the leader of No. 3 production team for 20 years since he was in his twenties. Zhou believes that 'the transitional period' of grains (the Great Famine) was because China had to pay debts to foreign countries. He recalls a few people who starved to death in different production teams. Zhou described in detail about the procedure of struggle sessions during the Four Cleanups, how he was criticized as he hadn't cleaned up some reactionary elements. He argues that the Four Cleanups movement was good at the beginning, but was overdone as it developed. The transcript of this interview has been translated into English.

Zhou Chengshun (b. 1940) is a resident of Jimingqiao Village, Baiyun Town, Shimen County, Hunan Province. During the Great Famine Zhou did not suffer from hunger thanks to his position as the director of the people's commune canteen. In his memory, no villager died of starvation in their canteen. Zhou also recalls that slogans were written on some young women's breasts to mobilize the workers at the construction site of Heping Reservoir in 1959.

Alaric Zhou's written thesis "SEEN" forms part of his MFA/EDA thesis, SEEN. The printed thesis consists of Part 1. Hands written on notebook papers; Part 2. 8x8'' photo paper, printed photos with words on the other side; Part 3. A screenplay, printed with A4 paper and bound with gaffer tape; Part 4. A research paper, printed in academic format.

Alaric Zhou's MFA/EDA thesis for 2024, titled SEEN consists of photo prints: 44x44'', Epson Premium Luster Paper, black and white, photos taken with Hasselblad 500cm with Ilford films. The experimental essay film is not included.

Zhi Dongming (b. 1939) is a resident of Xiguan Village, Shaanxi Province, and the grandfather of the interviewer, Zhi Pengbo. In this interview, Zhi recalls the life from 1958 to 1961. When constructing blast furnace in 1958, the villagers had to work both day and night. They mined coals, cut firewood and pumped the bellows. In 1958, all the young men in the village were sent to build road and cultivate wasteland for farming in different places. During the Great Famine, like most of the young men in the village, Zhi was working outside. Only the old people were left in the village. Although no one died of starvation, many got sick.

颐和园昆明湖东岸知春亭

Zhen Zhongyun said that in 1958 during the Great Leap Forward movement, people at her village melted their cooking pans to make iron and claimed successful after geting some metal balls, which was nothing but a failure. She and other villagers looked for kaolin clay and wild vegetables as food. She married into this village in 1962 as her mother wanted her to escape the terrible situation at her own village. Luckily her mother in law was very nice to her.

Zhen Liying (b. 1929) is a resident of Changxing Village, Gaolong Town, Chaling County, Hunan Province. In this interview, Zhen recalls how she went to Jiangxi Province to carry iron pipes and went to the nearby village to carry charcoal during the Great Leap Forward, and how she ate tree bark, tree roots, as well as chaff and stole turnip during the Great Famine. Zhen also talks about an old man in the village, who died of constipation because of eating chaff. The filmmaker's description of this interview has been translated into English.

Zheng Yuping (b.1948) is a resident of Zoujia Village, Shangdian Town, Binzhou City, Shandong Province. In this interview, Zheng remembers life during the Great Famine. At that time, she went begging in other villages with her mother and younger brother who almost starved to death. One time, the villagers mistakenly accused her father of stealing sweet potato, tied him up and denounced him in a struggle session. Her father even thought of committing suicide because of the false accusation. The filmmaker's description of this interview has been translated into English.

Zheng Yuanfu (b. 1934) is a resident of Xiguan Village, Shaanxi Province. In this interview, Zheng recalls the life from 1958 to 1960. The villagers were constructing blast furnace for the whole year in 1958. Almost all the villagers did work like mining, carrying coals, transporting, and pumping the bellows. The villagers started to eat at the communal canteen in August, 1959. Each village was a production team and there were around 170 to 180 people in one team. Everyday they had to build reservoir and dig terraced fields day and night. The communal canteen was closed down in 1960. When there was no enough food, the villagers had to eat starch and elm tree bark. While many people from other villagers died of starvation, no one from Zheng's Xiguan Village starved to death.

Zheng Lanfen (b. 1942) is a resident of Yangjiazhuang Village, Hebei Province. In this interview, Zheng talks about the life during the Great Famine when she was working at the production team. The food given by the production team was far from enough: everyone could only get two jins of wheat when wheat was harvested and then some other grains in the Fall. People had to find wild herbs for extra sustenance and most kids suffered from malnutrition.

Biographical information. Faculty/Staff

Zhao Yuanyun (b. 1950) is a resident of Xuanzhongyu Village, Baiyun Town, Shimen County, Hunan Province. In this interview, Zhao recounted how his classmate, Zhao, attempted suicide several times because he was often criticized for his landlord class status.

Zhao Yongyao (b. 1929), who worked as the leader of the production team, is a resident of Wangjiayan Village, Baiyun Town, Shimen County, Hunan Province. In this interview, Wang recalls how he led the "sister group" to conduct farming experiment, how 95% of the reservoir workers had been tied and beaten, and how the bone of some villagers' ancestors were digged out of tombs and then were boiled to make farming fertilizer. Zhao estimates that 18 villagers died of starvation when running the people's commune canteen. Zhao also mentions that few babies were born during 1958 and 1961. The filmmaker's description of this interview has been translated into English.

Zhao Xiuying (b.1933) is a resident of Zhanggao Village, Heguan Town, Qingzhou City, Shandong Province. In this interview, Zhao recalls life during the Great Famine. When eating at People's Commune canteen, she made steamed buns with sweet potato vines, which were hard to swallow. While starving every day, she also had to work in the farm. The filmmaker's description of this interview has been translated into English.

Zhao Jinxian (b. 1929) is a resident of Liangmeng Village, Zhuliang Town, Qingzhou City, Shandong Province. In this interview, Zhao recalls that the village leaders forced starving villagers to work, so many died of starvation during the Great Famine. The village did not receive any relief grain until after the Yanghe Incident. The filmmaker's description of this interview has been translated into English.

Zhao Jingmei (b. 1931) is a resident of Liujia Village, Zhuliang Town, Qingzhou City, Shandong Province. Her legs became deformed because of standing in cold water in winter while construcing the blast furnace during the Great Leap Forward. In this interview, she talks about earning work points at that time, a woman whose child froze to death when working in the field, and her daughter stunned by the sun. The filmmaker's description and transcript of this interview have been translated into English.

Includes dissertation

Zhao Jiarong (b. 1931) is a resident of Liujia Village, Zhuliang Town, Qingzhou City, Shandong Province. In this interview, Zhao talks about his family's experience of begging for food during the Great Famine. He also recalls that some fellow villagers ate dead bodies or sold their children to feed the rest of the family. The filmmaker's description of this interview has been translated into English.

Tomato Republic

Zhao Guifang (b. 1926) was married into Shaziying Village, Yang Town, Shunyi District, Beijing when she was 20. In this interview, Zhao talks about her hardship during the Great Famine. Originally Zhao had five daughters and one son, but because the famine was worse in Hebei Province, Zhao's dad asked her to take one of her sister's daughters. Life did not improve until when the kids grew a little older so that Zhao could lead them to make mats for extra money while Zhao's husband went to work in the city.

Zhao Changfeng (b. 1941) is a resident of Zoujia Village, Shangdian Town, Binzhou City, Shandong Province. In this interview, Zhao recalls her experience during the Great Famine. When she was seventeen, she went begging with her mother; due to his lame leg, her father stayed home and made bamboo baskets in exchange of food. Later, she went begging in another county with a girl called Xiao Huan, walking long distances on foot and very scared of people's dogs. At that time, it was fortunate to get even just a little food from others. At 18 years old, she worked in the field for work points and ate anything she could find. The filmmaker's description of this interview has been translated into English.

Zhang Zhihua (b. 1946) is a resident of Huanzidong Village, Shenyang, Liaoning Province. In this interview, Zhang recalls the life during the Great Famine. There were people who fled to Huanzidong Village from Hebei Province, while many local villagers fled to the Great Northern Wilderness for the relatively sufficient foods there. Zhang also talks about several villagers who starved to death during the Great Famine. Niu Fengtian's grandpa starved to death during sleep the day before the Chinese New Year. Without a proper coffin and clothes, he was buried in a crate that was used to contain soybean oil. In addition, many people died of food poisoning because of eating wild herbs and tree leaves. The transcript of this interview has been translated into English.

Zhang Zeying (b. 1943) is a resident of Shaziying Village, Yang Town, Shunyi District, Beijing. His early life was quite difficult as his family was identified as landlords, his mother passed away when he was very young and his father was identified as a rightist during the Anti-Rightist Movement. In this interview, Zhang recalled the life from the Great Leap Forward to the Great Famine when clothes and food were very scarce. Everyone was assigned 17-jin grains per month and eating on the Production Team's canteen. However, because a large amount of the assigned portion was also for the 10 cooks working at the canteen, the foods were far from enough. Only catres had enough to eat because they either extorted or stole from the public properties. In 1958 there was a big harvest, so a large amount of grain were wasted. However, starting from 1959 when the harvest was not good and the stored sweet potatoes went bad because of low temperature, people started to starve. The transcript of this interview has been translated into English.

Zhang Yinjing (b.1923) now lives in Shahe City, Hebei Province. In this interview, Zhang remembers life during the Great Famine. Because food tickets were not required for buying food on the train, many people took the train back and forth and bought food there. There were inspections everyday and those who hid food for themselves were criticized, so people hid food inside their shoes.

Hurwicz served on their thesis committee.

Zhang Xue (b.1940) is a resident of Wanbaochang Village, Tongchang Town, Yimen County, Yunnan Province. He said that things were most difficult since 1958. He was sent to work at the backyard furnace factory. Household tea kettles and cooking pots were all taken away. Grains were stored by People's Commune. There was not enough food at the village canteen, people had to eat wild vegetables, but no one died of starvation. He was married in 1959 and had children more than 3 years later. The transcript of this interview has been translated into English.

Zhang Xiuxia (b.1948) is a resident of Qujia Village, Yuqiao Town, Jingyang County, Shaanxi Province. In this interview, Zhang remembers life during the Great Famine. She recalls that once there were only two eggs left at home, and nothing left after she ate them, and her mother brought her to the grandmother's grave and cried. After getting married, they were so poor that she and her husband only had one comforter. The transcript of this interview has been translated into English.

Zhang Xirong (b. 1936) was born in Zoujia Village, Shangdian Town, Binzhou City, Shandong Province. In this interview, Zhang talks about eating at People's Commune canteen and at home during the Great Famine. The transcript of this interview has been translated into English.

Zhang Xiaomei (b.1928) is a resident of Baiyun Village, Fengqing Town, Yunnan Province. In this interview, Yang remembers the experience of eating at People's Commune Canteen and working for the collective during the Great Famine. The transcript of this interview has been translated into English.

Zhang Xiaogeng (b.1930) is a resident of Xizhai Village, Hanguguan Town, Lingbao City, Henan Province. In this interview, Zhang remembers experiences during the Great Leap Forward and the Great Famine. Due to the proneness to boasting and exaggeration at that time, tens of thousands jin of wheat and sweet potatoes were reported while the actual yield was only two or three hundred, and otherwise they would be criticized. When constructing backyard furnace, the village was organized into military units. Starvation began in 1960, because too much food was collected, the peasants didn't have enough to eat. He recalls eating corns and all kinds of leaves, eating grain seeds secretly while planting them as long as the cadres didn't know. At that time, peasants were divided into two classes, and landlords and rich peasants were struggled and beaten up.

Zhang Xiaofa (b. 1935) is a resident of Huanlingqiao Village, Longquan Town, Xintian County, Yongzhou City, Hunan Province. In this interview, Zhang recalls how the people's commune canteen was first established in production teams, and later in villages, when the villagers began to suffer from hunger. A few died of starvation while many suffered from hunger-related diseases.

Zhang Wenbin (b.1933) is a resident of Heiqi Village, Damiaokou Town, Dong'an County, Hunan Province. In this interview, Zhang talks about his bitter days after the Liberation, and commented on the policy mistakes during the People's Commue canteen time and the Cultural Revolution. Because he was born in a landlord family, he quitted school after the Liberation. At 18 years old, he became a major labor force and had to do all kinds of work. The entire family relied on him. It only got better after collectivization in 1955. The transcript of this interview has been translated into English.