Family story of Beijingers: Walking through Tiananmen Square barefoot

Family album

Head of the household: Zhang Jiliang, 82

Seven members include son and his wife, daughter and his husband, my son’s and my daughter's daughters.

Profile: Beijing's permanent resident, now living in Hepingmen community, Xirongxian Hutong.

It was a summer weekend in 1964; our family had a  trip to Beihai Park. My daughter especially wore  a one-piece dress with a bowknot at one pocket that  I bought for her and looked very beautiful.

Around the Labor Day Holiday in 1998, our family  took a photo of reunion again after half year’s  preparation. Today, my son’s daughter (the  second from the right in first row) and my  daughter’s daughter (the third from the right in  first row) are studying in graduate schools in  Canada and Germany respectively. My daughter  and her husband as well as my son and his  wife all work in Beijing. My wife Yang Xueni  (the first from the left in first row) died in 2006.

The year of 1949

In the memory of Zhang, his life is clearly divided into two parts.

The fresh new days that are similar to a new book with the scent of printing ink can be recalled vividly.

He was a dreary elementary teacher who could not get his own wages, and then turned into a Youth League member who felt like walking in the sky.

His father went back to their hometown after stopping his vagabond life selling kerosene in the city.

Optimism and joy were the words that he used to describe 1949.