On 1st October 1949, China became the People's Republic. It was the beginning of a revolution in Chinese society, government, law and economy.
Over the last fifty years, China had been through a lot of changes. China started off being run by Warlords who were overthrown by the Kuomintang in 1913. In 1921, the Communist party was formed and Civil war broke out between the Kuomintang and the Communist. This lasted right up to 1949. China had also been through a war with the Japanese, several famines, and a constant battle against inflation.
When the Communist Party came to power, it seemed to be everybody's dream come true. They bought such promises, that everyone was certain they were going to be a prosperous, peaceful nation. Was this the truth, or was it just a fantasy .
Women.
Before 1949, women had been possessions.
For the rich, it was tradition for a girl to have her feet bound at an early age. It was thought a woman had more appeal to a man if she had small, dainty feet. As she hobbled along, she was meant to represent a willow tree, blowing in the wind.
Once the girl got to her early teens, her father arranged for her to be married to the richest and highest man he could, either as a wife or a concubine. This would improve his contacts, increasing the chance of promotion. .
Life was very different for a concubine and for a wife. The concubines would have to obey and respect the wife as their mistress. Both wives and concubines were property of their husbands, and he was able to use them when and how he wished. Some very important men had as many as twenty concubines.
Peasant women didn't usually have to be put through all these traumas, but their ordeal was just as bad, if not worse. They were under the control of a landlord. It was his prerogative to use and abuse any of the peasant women, as he wanted. Peasant women usually tried to make themselves ugly so he would not take a liking to them.
