ABSTRACT
For the more prosperous areas, a "cultured life" is said to have enveloped people during the reform era. Beginning in the 1980s, villagers and townspeople have built new homes, purchased gobs of goods, and explored new economic opportunities wherever and whenever they presented themselves. Villagers in GaopingXiang in Yunnan's Eshan County told proudly, "Ninety percent of households here eat a bit of meat and drink some liquor with their meals! They have enough cloth so young people don't have to wear patched clothes. Food, clothing, health, and mobility have all improved on average. Most areas no longer suffer the food shortages of the past, and the quantity and variety of food available have improved. As for clothes, there were also some interesting changes at the village level. Villagers themselves used "no longer wearing patched clothes" as a folk index of prosperity. Indeed, colorful, stylish, and smart were the bywords for changes in attire.
