In ancient China, 60 years is considered a calendrical cycle. From dire poverty to eradicating starvation, from political fanaticism to affluence, the People's Republic of China has seen great changes in six decades. In our three-part series, we start with the experiences of people born in 1949. They are workers, peasants, blackguards and intellectuals. Their lives are intertwined in tumultuous times, emerging from chaos to abundance to greed and a lack of faith. From their stories, we take a closer look at the changes over 6 decades, and the differences brought by the reform and opening up policy.