Mao's faith in high density planting led nearly every commmune in China to start an experimental field growing grain in this way.

These experimental fields were begun in 1958 and in many places retained until 1980.

In some provinces, like Guangdong, close planting was initially obligatory in all fields.

A density of 1.5 million seedlings per 2.5 acres is usually the norm in the south, but in 1958 peasants were ordered to plant 6-7.5 million seedlings and the next year 12-15 million per 2.5 acres.

The same close planting was done throughout China with wheat, cotton, sorghum, millet and every other important crop: the results were identical-the seedlings died.

Yet the press (Official party line Xinhua) repeatedly and for years published thousands of falsified photographs apparently showing wheat growing so dense for example, that children could sit on top of the stalks.

A retired Xinhua phtographer later told the author that the pictures were faked by putting a bench underneath the children.

the 3 men responsible for the worst mass murder were Mao, Chen Boda editor of RED FLAG who also inspired part of the hated Cultural Revolutionand Li Jingquan who was Party Secretary of Sichuan province (location of 3 Gorges Dam) a rich agricultural area that lost 7 to 9 million people in starvation.