Interview with Li Chunfang

Li Chunfang (b. 1950) was born in Baiyun Village, Fengqing Town, Yunnan Province. He is educated, and has written a genealogy book for the Li family. In this interview, Li recalls the development of the Great famine, and believes that it is “not a natural disaster, but a man-made misfortune”. Life was good during the first few months in 1958 when the People’s Commune canteen first started, but soon went from bad to worse. In 1959, a few starved to death. The canteen once took down a vacant house for firewood. Li also narrates other movements he experienced with his family and other villagers, such as the campaign of “supassing the UK and the US” in iron and steel production, the “White Flag and Red Flag” campaign, and constructing blast furnaces druing the Great Leap Forward. 

李春芳1950年出生于云南省凤庆县白云村。他是个文化人，曾写过一本李氏家谱。在这段口述中，李老人回忆了大饥荒的过程，认为“大食堂化不是天灾是人祸”。1958年集体食堂开始的几个月生活很好，之后却越来越差，1959年就饿死了人。食堂还把空置的房子砍来当柴烧。另外，李老人也讲述了他和家人与其他村民共同经历的赶英超美，红旗白旗，大炼钢铁等运动。

Transcripts for this interview and more may be available under the ‘Documents’ link above. 采访抄录和相关内容，请点击查看上面的’Documents’链接。