Oral History of China's Sent-down Youth

Author: Liu Xiaomeng
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-01-01
Features: In the 1960s and 1970s, over 17 million urban intellectuals and youth went to the countryside and frontier areas. This massive movement, known as the Up to the Mountains and Down to the Countryside Campaign, not only changed the fate of an entire generation but also had a profound impact on Chinese society. From the time the movement ended, more than two decades have passed. The original "intellectual youth" are no longer young, yet they still refer to themselves and others as "" (intellectual youth). This book collects oral accounts from 13 former. There are typical intellectuals from the era, leaders among the, and ordinary intellectuals who remained unnoticed. They come from diverse backgrounds in terms of family origin, cultural background, life experiences, and political beliefs. Their evaluations and feelings about the movement are deeply personal, yet their stories and individual expressions are deeply moving, helping readers gain a deeper understanding of the Up to the Mountains and Down to the Countryside Movement and its context.