From the pictures and stories presented by Mr. Wu, I have pieced together

life in the military village as something communal, close-knit, and organized.

From the shared kitchens, bathrooms, and faucets, it is reasonable that the families within each village became a sort of a larger family itself. I notice a more collectivist culture than individualistic, and an egalitarian nature to the society. The shared circumstances and struggles of the time may contribute to this attitude.

early stages of a young country remained largely apolitical. However, this could

also be a result from his young age during the height of the tensions post-war.

He mentioned being forced to speak Mandarin Chinese, as opposed to other

dialects spoken in the provinces of China such as Cantonese. While he recalled

the threats from teachers from the perspective of a young student, there was

clearly a political agenda behind this enforcement. It was important for the young government to reinforce its national language as Mandarin Chinese, uniting its people under one language. Mr. Wu said that they were to be hit by the teachers if they did not abide. Physical punishment was still acceptable and prevalent in the school environment at the time.