My Life As A Peasant

By Darren Geiger
Honors World History
 Chao Ling Wu

• Born in: Golmud, Qinghai April 14,1938

• Religion: Buddhism
• Ethnicity: Han
• Economic status: Poor
• Education: Literate and occasionally teaches
 The Wu Family

• Father: Chao
• Mother: Lin
• Wife: Ya Fen
• Brothers: Zhong and Ah Yong
• Children: He Li , Cheng and Nuo
 Family Life
• In the morning My wife
and I would work within
the communes in the
fields or in the factory.
• I would drop the kids off
at school on my way to
the factory.
• Worked with neighbors
in the commune, which
consisted of twelve
families.
 Family Life (continued)
• Usual work hours would
be about 11 hours.
• Afterward we ate one
bowl of rice a day.
• Some days dad and I
wouldn’t eat.
• We would usually talk
about current events
and China.
 Family Life (continued)
• Currently live with my
parents.*
• We still live in my home
town of Golmud.
• * Later on My parents
were moved to a happy
home due to
complications involving
work hours.
 Home and Living Conditions
• When growing up
the type of house I
lived in was very
small and crammed.
• I lived with my mom
and dad and two
other brothers.
• The neighborhood
we lived in was
small.
 Home and Living Conditions
cont.
• The whole village was
agricultural based.
• The living conditions
were unsanitary and
filthy.
• There was plenty of
diseases going around,
but my family managed.
 Entertainment
• As a young a young boy
I played soccer.
• I played baseball when I
was eleven,but stopped
in 1959.
• I took my children to the
circus when they were
small children.
• I would play chess with
the children when they
got older.
 Current Events
• In 1949 civil war in
China ends.
• Mao Zedong comes to
power.
• Peoples Republic of
China is formed
• 1950 Marriage Law is
put in place.
• Korean War begins
• Land is distributed to
peasants.
 Current Events (continued)
• 1951-55 A Preparatory
Works and Defense law
is put in affect.
• 1953- Korean war ends
• 1958-63 The Great
QuickTimeª and a
Leap Forward (5- year Sorenson Video 3 decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
plan) starts.
• 1966 Cultural
Revolution begins.
 Journal
August 14, 1957
• In this journal I talk
about the plans that
were in store for
China and the rise in
contact with
Russians and
Chinese Scholars.
• Also how we were
put in communes.
 Journal
August 20, 1960
• Incidents due to
extreme work hours.
• On the verge of
starvation.
• Conditions within the
commune
progressively get
worse.
 Journal
January 22, 1962
• Fields are drying up
• Working conditions
cause more injuries
• Rice and steel
production slow down
tremendously.
• One of my children
have died due to the
famine.
 Epilogue
• My wife and father
die due to the
famine
• Cultural revolution
begins.
• Red guards start to
be sent to rural
areas.
How Event Effected the world
• The events I lived
through had a huge
effect
• The Great Leap
Forward showed how
using hard work only
can be devastating.
• Cultural revolution
shows how radicalism
can get out of hand.
 Bibliography
• http://sportingcompany.co.uk/soccer/images/soccer
• http://www.e-ureka.com/galleries03/pics/baseball_b
• http://faculty.randolphcollege.edu/fwebb/buck/mebrad
bury/ctra117.jpg
• http://i3.iofferphoto.com/img/item/847/790/16/o_CvS
.jpg
• http://eng.tibet.cn/newfeature/chinaIndia2006/
Knowchina/wo2006031036824214022.jpg
 Bibliography
• http://www.china-
holiday.com/english/china/raretimages/qingha
i.git
• http://ww.china-map-
guide.com/image/province/qinghai.jpg
• www.socialistworker.co.uk/art/php?id=12785
• http://ww.pbs.org/wgbh/commandingheights/s
hared/pdf/profMaoZedong.pdf
• News.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/static/speacial-
report/1999/09/99/china_50/default.htm