My parents were protected by my grandparents against Mao. They were told to pretend to be stupid and uneducated. They actually had to practice and learn to do this very well, and they survived the existential purge.  Hey Mom, Dad - you can stop pretending now, the cultural revolution has ended!

As someone who read Wild Swans recently for a class in Chinese history this is REMARKABLE!

I recently read Wild Swans and found it to be wonderfully written and incredibly interesting. I spent a couple years in China teaching english; a wonderful experience.

Quote-" Parents who went through suffering tend NOT to tell their children of what went on in the past...". I grew up not knowing anything about my parents' past in China, other than some offhand comments here n there. Must be " no knowledge is no danger". I'm learning now.. from the internet! Thank you. My family came from a whole line of teachers!

"I read that book too in preparation for this interview", that's where the excellence comes from.

America 😮 Listen to this Lady 😢this could come to our nation

Great timing on the Kissinger interview. Looking forward to that.

What a wonderful, classy lady ! 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍💖💖
That's exactly what she is and who she is！

The very best pod cast I have ever listened to. We need more of this to be discussed in our educational institutions. My focus is not on changing peoples beliefs, but I hope that people become fully informed so that their opinions.... are their own. That is something we desperately need in today's western societies.

such underrated channel. appreciate your  work <3

Read all her books, my grandma suffered similar fate like her father & mother, my dad similar to hers, but less fortunate than her, my family moved to US quite late, all the cultural revolution damage done physically, mentally, and financially to my family.
But I was fortunate enough to get a good western education, & find a good balance in between eastern & western culture.

Very insightful & real historical information in her books. Taught me a lot!
Thank you for letting people know the true history of China.
Most Chinese don't know their own history & brainwashed severely enough to behave like rude arrogant fools around the world.
Very sad to see....

Jung Chang....Thank you so very very much for sharing your Mother's and Your story 😊

Wild Swans! I read it when it first came out. One of the most fascinating and riveting books I’ve ever read. I could not put it down. Probably read it in one day in a reading marathon session! Funny, this is the first time seeing her being interviewed.

In any authoritarian regime reality is not determined by the facts but by the needs of their narrative

Mr Patel,
you ask really good questions, then you get out of the way. Good job. I love your interviews because I know it's not going to be about you but your guest and the pursuit of the story.

You always find super interesting guests to interview! Good work

I was brought to tears by this person's account of their experience under communist rule. How monstrous can people be?

Fascinating, great interview 😊

During Mao Zedong's rule in China, backyard furnaces were used to refine steel as part of the Great Leap Forward, an economic and social campaign to rapidly industrialize the country:

Purpose:

The purpose of backyard furnaces was to help China become the world's top steel producer.

Construction:

Backyard furnaces were built in the fields and backyards of communes.

Production:

Most furnaces produced pig iron, which is brittle and has limited industrial uses. The furnaces also didn't produce good steel, and people often melted good things to make steel.


Other aspects of the Great Leap Forward included:

Moving farmers to industrial work
Relocating people to communes
Establishing quota systems
Organizing peasants into brigade teams
Establishing communal kitchens.

The Great Leap Forward was implemented with haste, and the government spent a lot of money on industry, which increased China's debt. The campaign was accompanied by droughts and floods, which drove down crop yields. The result was the Great Chinese Famine.

Wow! Read Wild Swans at 10 years of age and was the most history of China that I ever read. Thank you for finding the author and sharing. Amazing times!