40-year diary speaks history
FENG Sheng, a 59-year-old citizen in southwest
China, has kept writing diary in the Spring Festival for over 40 years, and his
personal observations serve as a vivid record of China's social
changes.
At root, Eideard is still a workingclass guy from a factory town in southern New England. All the knowledge and sophistication alloyed to decades of toil, travel, study and reflection -- leaves me in any quiet moment to reflect upon my life as it spun forward from how and where I came from. That is the context of this post.
FENG Sheng, a 59-year-old citizen in southwest China, has kept writing diary in the Spring Festival for over 40 years, and his personal observations serve as a vivid record of China's social changes.
Feng, a resident of Chengdu, capital of Sichuan Province, said a lantern festival was held during the Spring Festival holidays of 1961, the most exciting event for him as a teenager.
"To keep the happy memories, I began to write my Spring Festival diary the next year," said Feng.
But the "happy memories" did not last long when the lantern festival was stopped in 1967, one year after the start of the 10-year chaotic cultural revolution, as lanterns and other traditional folk traditions and arts were deemed feudal and harmful to a modern society.
On January 30, 1968, the lunar New Year's Day, Feng wrote only one sentence: "It is Spring Festival today, and it is rather cold."
The lantern festival was revived for Chengdu residents in 1975, and Feng wrote in his Spring Festival diary: "A sea of people turned the lantern festival into an exceptionally grand occasion."
"At that time, everyone wished life would be like Spring Festival every day," Feng recalled.
In the 1980s, he began to use words like "sunshine" in his diary, because he got married and had a son. "My longing for the Spring Festival implied hope for a happy family," he said.
The son went to Japan to study in 2001, but they were reunited this Spring Festival. "Happiness knows no bounds," said Feng.
This past year has witnessed a steady change in my perception and attitudes towards China. The drama which began to unfold with victory over the Cultural Revolution continues to run its course.
I reminisce about conversations and dialogue with dear friends decades ago. The topic of building a socialist market economy only fell into the category of "absurd" -- with some of the best minds of my generation and those before. Yet, Deng Xiaoping stepped from prison, re-entered political life in China and led his whole nation into a dialectic previously unseen on this foolish little planet of ours. I've found a book or two that further educate me about the process. I'm not certain if there exists a proper history of the detail, personal challenges and courage required to bring about this amazing change; but, I have some idea of what was required.
Certainly, barriers continue to impede this nation's growth to full potential. History, culture, a global economy controlled by hostile forces -- even well-wishers whose blindness to history limit any opportunity of understanding and real assistance. But, so far -- it looks like they're going to make it. "Chi Lai" my sisters and brothers.
Posted: Sun - February 5, 2006 at 11:37 AM