ABSTRACT
In the aftermath of the Cultural Revolution, following the death of Mao Zedong in 1976, dramatic changes took place throughout China. In the early 1980s rural enterprises and institutions were decollectivized, and a “responsibility system” was introduced. In this chapter, Wang Fucheng, the village doctor, and the accountant explain the process of transition from collectivity to responsibility in Houhua Village and the operation of the new system in agriculture, medicine, and education. They also discuss changes in the land and other reasons for rapid increases in production and greatly enhanced prosperity in Houhua Village during the 1980s.
