In 1969, a young Xi Jinping was sent to Liangjiahe, a small village located in Shaanxi province, as part of the “down to the countryside movement”. He was 15.
This initiative relocated urban youths to rural areas to learn from the rural folk. Xi lived in a cave shelter and joined villagers to do tough farming work, experiencing firsthand the hardships of rural life. He witnessed severe poverty and hunger, which left a lasting impression on him.
