Changing patterns

Dazhai (Big Village) lies in the arid mountains of Xiyang county, Shanxi province. In 1964, village head Chen Yonggui (who was later appointed vice-premier) led fellow farmers to convert barren mountain slopes into terraced rice fields.

Former Chairman Mao Zedong and other leaders called on the nation to follow Dazhai's lead. But the exhortation soon degenerated into an instrument of "class struggle". Any official who didn't follow Dazhai's example risked being sacked.

Like many others, Zhai Daihai, author of Xinjiawan, and once a commune head, also visited Dazhai and launched campaigns similar to those run there.