‘In those days we dedicated our whole lives to The Party. We put it first, before anything else, whether that was family, love, or even life itself.   I will tell you a fact about the path my life has taken – to survive is victory!’

Lin Xiangbei
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Translated and compiled by Lin Ping

This is a true account of the life of Lin Xiangbei during a century of tumultuous changes in China. Lin was born in 1918 in Yunan, a small town in north-east Sichuan Province. In 1938, under the influence of a remarkable figure later known as ‘The Double Gun Woman’, Lin became a committed Communist.

Lin worked tirelessly as an underground agent, following the ideals of Communism with passion and purity – believing it would bring about a better, fairer society to the people of China under the leadership of Chairman Mao. However, in 1957 Lin was accused of being a ‘Rightist’ and consequently spent several years in and out of labour camps; he was almost broken by the experience. Then came the ten-year long nightmare that was the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution.

Yet, through it all, Lin Xiangbei remains committed to the principles of Communism and is proud of his country today. His memoir gives us not only a glimpse into the lives of ordinary people in twentieth-century China, but also an insight into the hardship, fear and insecurity of those years – and the comradeship, self-sacrifice and heroism of the people around him. 

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