China

Life and people of the Yangtze river

Long Qing Yin

My mother has told me that the river banks and mountains around Fungli used to be bare (1960's). There were no trees, just rolling yellow hills. People around Fungli at that time starved of hunger, as they were only allowed to grow specific crops. The main crops in this area were corn and wheat, but they were not grown for profit. All the crops had to be given to the government.

I remember when I was a child many people were starving. Our family had to eat bark from the trees, wild fruits and flowers. We were often very ill as our stomachs could not digest what we were eating. Today however, there is enough food for everyone. Farmers have more freedom about which crops they grow and they can also sell their produce at the markets for profit. Farmers in this area now grow rice, wheat, corn and peanuts.

The life for my family and for the residents of Fungli is much easier today than when I was a child. The river banks and mountains along the river are greener, there are more trees and they are always full of food for everyone. Today, farmers in this area use pesticides to grow their vegetables, so many people now have cancer and other diseases. The poisons have also flowed into the river and killed many fish. I think that this is the reason more people are dying of diseases and explains why there has been a decline in fish catches.

I complain to the government officials in my village about some of their policies, but overall things are getting better. Our country is developing and at least we have vegetables and rice.