The focus of this vintage photo collection by Dr. Donald Gibbs, UC Davis Emeritus Professor of Chinese language, literature and film, is China in 1979. Why 1979? That was a significant year for China, a watershed year. Mao died in 1976 and until he was gone change seemed impossible for China. A new regime under Deng Xiaoping came to power and it swept away much, but not all, of the ultra-radical policies that had governed China chaotically and often tragically for 40 years. The images are presented for educators to use and therefore the presentation is by category to facilitate this purpose.
China 1979 