Mao's lost children : stories of the rusticated youth of China's cultural revolution / edited by Ou Nianzhong and Liang Yongkang ; translated by Laura Maynard.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Ou, Nianzhong, editor.

Ellis D. Williams, College 1865, Endowment Fund.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

History.

China--History--1949---Anecdotes.

China.

Genre:

Anecdotes.

Physical Description:

xv, 364 pages ; 23 cm

Distribution:

[Honolulu] : University of Hawai'i Press.

Place of Publication:

Portland, Maine : MerwinAsia, [2015]

Summary:

This is a collection of memoirs written by more than fifty Chinese who as young people during the rule of Mao Zedong were rusticated to Hainan Island to clear the jungle for rubber plantations. For the first time outside China, they tell of the fervor with which they embraced rustication, but also of the disenchantment that often followed it. They recount the hardship, back-breaking labor and hunger they suffered, but also the joys and achievements. Their stories are of families torn apart, but also of love affairs-of difficulties ingeniously turned to advantage, of self-education, entertainment and artistic endeavor improvised in a cultural wilderness, of humor and jokes in the darkest of times. They provide unique, first-hand insights into this turbulent and crucial period of China's recent history, and are also a moving testimony to the indomitable nature of the human spirit. Book jacket.

Contents:

Leaving Home 1

"See you on the battlefield!" / Huang Ronger Ronger, Huang 3

Follow Chairman Mao closely / Fang Jinqi Jinqi, Fang 5

Rustication crushed my dreams / Chen Hongbo Hongbo, Chen 8

Arrival 13

Endless hills and patches of weeds / Weng Ruiwen Ruiwen, Weng 15

When water was as precious as oil / Xiao Peihong Peihong, Xiao 17

Politics 21

I want to join the party / Wu Xianfang Xianfang, Wu 23

One test that I passed / Chen Sanxing Sanxing, Chen, Chen Hongbo Hongbo, Chen 26

I nearly put an end to it / Ma Guizhen Guizhen, Ma 28

The counterrevolutionary mynah bird / Xuan Guangchi Guangchi, Xuan, Chen Mingguo Mingguo, Chen 30

A bundle of Seedlings / Deng Xiaodan Xiaodan, Deng 31

Standing on the ping-pong table / Huang Ronger Ronger, Huang 34

Those ridiculous times / Jia Hongji Hongji, Jia 38

Hunger 43

Green dragons crossing the sea / Li Haiming Haiming, Li 45

Forbidden fruit / Ma Guizhen Guizhen, Ma 51

A dish of congee and sole / Zhang Huixin Huixin, Zhang 53

Black market / Kong Dexiang Dexiang, Kong 55

Fishy business / Li Huguang Huguang, Li 57

Foraging / Mei Fuming Fuming, Mei, Chen Hongbo Hongbo, Chen 61

Bloody but unbowed / Zhu Jianqiang Jianqiang, Zhu 63

Learn from the Workers! 67

Learning from the workers / Lin Yuhua Yuhua, Lin 69

The eggs in the cradles / Lu Sui Sui, Lu 71

Becoming Iron Girls 75

Weeds grew under our beds / Wu Xianfang Xianfang, Wu 77

Digging well / Fang Jinqi Jinqi, Fang 80

The trials of cutting rubber / Huang Siqin Siqin, Huang 82

All the young ladies have fainted / Yang Heping Heping, Yang 84

Duty before stardom / Lin Yuhua Yuhua, Lin 89

Finding the Path 93

How I learned to love pigs / Wu Xianfang Xianfang, Wu 95

Finding the path / Chen Guanli Guanli, Chen 100

My inspiration / Hou Jingjie Jingjie, Hou, Liang Yongkang Yongkang, Liang 103

Journey of a barefoot doctor / Wang Guangzhen Guangzhen, Wang 108

An old codger and some young pearls / Chen Yanhua Yanhua, Chen, Dong Zhennan Zhennan, Dong, Zheng Xiuhua Xiuhua, Zheng, Deng Jingxi Jingxi, Deng 114

Dog Tired 119

Sleepwalking / Huang Jian Jian, Huang 121

Making sugar / Li Huguang Huguang, Li 124

Making the Best of It 127

My zhiqing life / Ren Jie Jie, Ren 129

Making the best of it / Zheng Xinhua Xinhua, Zheng 132

Bathing in the open / Hu Zhimin Zhimin, Hu 136

Skirt the danger of capitalism / Rao Ruiguang Ruiguang, Rao 140

Maoist Propaganda Stars 143

Oases in the cultural desert / Zhu Zhaoyu Zhaoyu, Zhu 145

A broadcaster ahead of her time / Yang Heping Heping, Yang 151

Pictures and memories / Lu Zhongmin Zhongmin, Lu 156

Saluting the morning sun / Huang Ronger Ronger, Huang 160

Truth was the least concern / Cao Nancai Nancai, Cao 164

I helped create a hero / Chen Hongbo Hongbo, Chen 167

The struggle to get into print / He Qinghua Qinghua, He 169

Bringers of Arts and Knowledge 175

Tending the lamp of learning / Zhu Zhaoyu Zhaoyu, Zhu 177

Teaching twice as hard / Feng Qiqin Qiqin, Feng 182

Sowing the seeds of the arts / He Yancheng Yancheng, He 183

Living with the Li 187

Intoxicated by the girls / Huang Ronger Ronger, Huang 189

Pulling-power with the Li / Zhong Enming Enming, Zhong 193

Home and Back 197

Writing home / LinYuhua 199

The hard road home / Huang Jian Jian, Huang 201

Under the bell tower / Zhang Cheng Cheng, Zhang 206

The sweetest of mangoes / Chen Hongbo Hongbo, Chen 209

Pastimes and Leisure 213

Bookworms / Liang Yongkang Yongkang, Liang 215

Going to the movies / Hu Zhimin Zhimin, Hu 221

Coping with Scarcity 225

Mothers of invention / Zhang Huixin Huixin, Zhang 227

Catching grasshoppers / Feng Xingkai Xingkai, Feng 229

Giving our stamps a face-lift / Rao Ruiguang Ruiguang, Rao 231

Birthday present / Zhang Huixin Huixin, Zhang 233

Friendship and Love 235

A belated "thank you" / Peng Lijia Lijia, Peng 237

More than mere medicine / He Qinghua Qinghua, He 242

Love in a feverish climate / Huang Ronger Ronger, Huang 244

The girl in the song / Chen Hongguang Hongguang, Chen 249

Putting down roots in Daling / Fang Jinqi Jinqi, Fang 253

A world well lost for love / Luo Tiansheng Tiansheng, Luo, Liang Yongkang Yongkang, Liang 257

Escapes, Scrapes, and Tight Spots 261

We plotted to run away / Song Xiaoqi Xiaoqi, Song 263

No country for deserters / Chen Zufu Zufu, Chen 273

The rocky road to rehabilitation / Chen Hongbo Hongbo, Chen 279

The stamp of success / Huang Xiaowei Xiaowei, Huang 281

My lucky escapes / Huang Ronger Ronger, Huang 287

My brush with a shark's fin / Deng Xiaodan Xiaodan, Deng 291

Being deer to someone / Liu Jingan Jingan, Liu 293

Aiming High 297

The studious sentry / Su Haitao Haitao, Su 299

A serial dreamer / Peng Lijia Lijia, Peng 302

A phoenix in the hen-house / Su Zhaoxin Zhaoxin, Su 307

Digging my way out / Yang Yanhui Yanhui, Yang, Yang Chuanzhi Chuanzhi, Yang, Peng Lijia Lijia, Peng 312

Twists of Fate 317

A life less ordinary / Che Zhiming Zhiming, Che 319

The big red umbrella / Su Haitao Haitao, Su 324

Two life changing incidents / Liang Yongkang Yongkang, Liang 328

The Long Way Home 331

Set sail guy / He Weixian Weixian, He, Liang Yongkang Yongkang, Liang 333

Looking Back 341

Just one memento / Ou Nianzhong Nianzhong, Ou 343.

Local Notes:

Acquired for the Penn Libraries with assistance from the Ellis D. Williams, College 1865, Endowment Fund.

ISBN:

1937385671

9781937385675

OCLC:

880565727

Publisher Number:

99964222734