First Hand Experiences during 1900s China

The following article was written from a high-schoolers interview with her grandfather:

A poster created to encourage support of Mao Zedong.

Image Credits: ASAP History

The Great Leap Forward

When my grandfather was young, China had just experienced 15 years of fighting against Japanese aggression and domestic conflict. At that time, China was economically backward, and the top leaders wanted to quickly change this situation. They introduced the slogan "working hard, striving for the top, building socialism faster, better, and more economically," aiming to catch up with developed countries like Britain within 15 years. The entire nation was engaged in steel production, utilizing small factories to make steel. This was the famous Great Leap Forward movement. Although my grandfather was quite young during this time, he vividly remembers gathering scrap metal and sending it to factories to be transformed into steel. China's underdevelopment fueled the desire to catch up with more advanced foreign nations. This shared goal was summed up by the Great Leap Forward, which emphasized that the entire population needed to participate in the effort to boost production.

The Cultural Revolution

My grandfather believes the Great Leap Forward had its good points, but he also acknowledges the profound impact the Cultural Revolution and the Chinese Communist Party had on education. The government's primary focus during this period was to instill a cultural spirit in the populace, often at the expense of formal education. Many students were encouraged to abandon their studies in favor of participating in political rallies and campaigns.

Insight into Life During the Revolution

However, my grandfather and some of his friends chose a different path. They continued to prioritize their education rather than attend all the rallies. As a result, my grandfather achieved good grades compared to his peers when test days arrived.

Additionally, the communist emphasis on community and sharing goods led to a widespread lack of motivation among many individuals, who began to rely on others for their basic needs. There were also people's communes, where farmers concentrated their land and cultivated it together. Many places falsely claimed that one acre of land produced 10,000 kilograms of rice. This system ultimately proved unsustainable; for instance, farmers did not have to pay for meals in the commune canteen. Natural disasters from 1959 to 1962 further reduced agricultural production, putting China in an extremely difficult period. My grandfather noted that while China aimed to advance rapidly, the actions taken during this time often hindered progress.

He observed that students were increasingly underperforming academically because educational priorities were disregarded, and the country was in disarray as many institutions and cultural sites were destroyed. The campaign to eradicate "the Four Olds"—old ideas, old culture, old customs, and old habits—resulted in the widespread destruction of religious sites, such as churches.