CHARTING THE COURSE
In 1969, by the time he turned 16, Xi Jinping arrived in a small village in Shaanxi Province as a zhiqing, or “educated youth.” Educated youth were young urban people who either volunteered or were sent to work in rural areas as part of a campaign launched by Chairman Mao Zedong that called on urban youth to work in rural areas during the period from the 1950s to the end of the “cultural revolution” (1966-76).
Life there was tough for the young Xi. In the beginning, fleas troubled him so badly that he was unable to fall asleep. Every day he undertook all kinds of labor of the countryside, such as reclaiming wasteland, hoeing, herding, hauling coal, and carrying manure.
As time passed, tough work became easy. Xi became a hardworking capable young man in the villagers’ eyes. Gaining their trust, he was elected village Party chief. He was once awarded a motorized tricycle after being named a “model educated youth.” However, he exchanged the tricycle for a walking tractor, a flour milling machine and farm tools to benefit the villagers.
Life in Shaanxi cultivated his firm faith, which
