Everyday Energy Transitions in Rural and Urban China

Melody Leung interviews her mother, Bonnie Lau, about her experiences of energy systems from her childhood in rural, mainland China during the Great Leap Forward to her move to Hong Kong. Lau recalls that in the village, everyone relied on a nearby river for water. On a nearby plain, villagers grew vegetables and rice. Lau reflects on the sharing of natural resources and on government flood management during seasons of heavy rain. She also discusses the distribution of labor among her family and among the entire village, along with the distribution of food and resources. Lau recalls burning straw for cooking and relying on manual labor for farming. She also describes moving to Hong Kong in her late teens. Lau discusses the slow introduction of electricity in the 1970s, replacing kerosene lamps. She also reflects on the different forms of energy used in urban and rural China and discusses what day-to-day life resembled for Chinese families. Lau concludes by discussing lifestyle changes in Chinese villages due to automation and describing the main forms of transportation during her childhood.