In 1959, the late Beijing-born writer ShiTiesheng, then a primary school secondgrader, was enthralled by histeacher’sdescriptions of the idyllic life residentsin a nine-story building under constructionnear his school would lead.
“My teacher told the class, the buildingwould have every conceivable amenity:gas,elevators,heatingandhot water.Instead of cooking their own meals peopleinthe building would all eatin aninter-nal canteen, where everytaste would besatisfied. The complex would have clubsfor peopleto play card games, chess andmahjong. There would be gyms for physi-cal exercise, a cinema, alibrary, a clinic,shops and public baths. Allthe building’sresidents would treat each other as membersof one big family. In a word, that buildingwas nothing less than a prototype of an idealsociety,” Shi wrotein memoirs morethan40 years later.