Interview with Zhang Kuixiang

Zhang Kuixiang (b. 1942) is a villager of Zhangzhuangzi Village, Tianjin. In this interview, Zhang talks about the life during the Great Famine. Zhang was still in middle school back then. Due to the lack of staple food, the school organized the students to pick up vegetable stems at weekend so as to grind them into powder and make steamed buns for the students. The school also planted some vegetables for the students. Zhang once stole some garlics from the vegetable garden because of hunger. Sometimes at weekends, Zhang and his classmates would walk for over 6 miles to cut grass so as to sell it for tuition and living expenses. The family of one of Zhang’s classmates cooked a goat to eat after it died. However, the classmate in the end died of overeating. One of Zhang’s younger brothers died of starvation during the Great Famine too.

张奎享1942年生，是天津市静海县梁头镇张庄子村村民。在这段口述中，张老人讲述了大饥荒时的生活。张老人当时上中学，因为主食不够，学校组织学生周末去捡菜帮子，捡回来后粉碎了蒸窝头给学生吃。学校也种了一些蔬菜给学生，张老人曾因为饥饿偷过学校种的大蒜吃。有时周末张老人还和同学一起去二十多里地外的地方打草卖，换取学费生活费。张老人的一个同学家里死了头羊于是炖着吃，结果他吃太多撑死了。张老人的一个弟弟也在大饥荒期间饿死。

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。