Down to the Countryside Movement facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Down to the Countryside Movement |
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| Traditional Chinese | 上山下鄉運動 | ||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 上山下乡运动 | ||||||||||
| Literal meaning | Up to the mountains and down to the villages | ||||||||||
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The Down to the Countryside Movement was a big plan in China during the late 1960s and early 1970s. It was a time when the Chinese government, led by Mao Zedong, sent many young people from cities to live and work in farming villages or mountain areas.
This movement happened during the Cultural Revolution, a major political event in China. Mao Zedong believed that young people from the cities, especially those from wealthier families, needed to learn from farmers and workers. He thought this would help them understand the lives of ordinary people and support the country's goals.
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What Was the Down to the Countryside Movement?
The Down to the Countryside Movement was a government program. It aimed to send young people from China's big cities to rural areas. The goal was for them to gain experience and learn from the lives of farmers. This was also meant to reduce the number of unemployed young people in the cities.
Why Did This Happen?
This movement was part of the Cultural Revolution. During this time, the government wanted to change many things in society. They wanted to remove ideas that were seen as "old" or "bourgeois." Bourgeois meant ideas or ways of life linked to rich people or older traditions. Mao Zedong believed that city youth needed to be "re-educated" by working with farmers. This was also a way to deal with a large number of high school graduates who could not find jobs or go to university.
Who Were the "Rusticated Youth"?
Many high school graduates were told to leave their city homes. They had to move to distant parts of China. These young people became known as the Rusticated Youth. They lived and worked alongside farmers, often in very tough conditions. They learned about farming and rural life.
A "Lost Generation"?
For many of these young people, the movement meant missing out on higher education. They could not go to university. Because of this, some people call them China's "lost generation." They spent important years of their lives working in the countryside instead of studying.
Some famous writers have shared their experiences from this time. These include Liu Xiaobo, who won the Nobel Peace Prize. Jiang Rong and Zhang Chengzhi also wrote about their time in places like Inner Mongolia. Their stories help us understand what life was like for the Rusticated Youth.
