Early Life

Hu Jintao was born in the city of Jiangyan, central Jiangsu Province, on December 21, 1942. His family belonged to the poor end of the "petit bourgeois" class. Hu's father, Hu Jingzhi, ran a small tea shop in the small town of Taizhou, Jiangsu. His mother died when Hu was only seven years old, and the boy was raised by his aunt.

Education:

An exceptionally bright and diligent student, Hu attended the prestigious Qinghua University in Beijing, where he studied hydroelectric engineering. He is rumored to have a photographic memory, a handy trait for Chinese-style schooling.

Hu is said to have enjoyed ballroom dancing, singing, and table tennis in university. A fellow student, Liu Yongqing, became Hu's wife; they have a son and a daughter.

In 1964, Hu joined the Chinese Communist Party, just as the Cultural Revolution was being born. His official biography doesn't reveal what part, if any, Hu played in the excesses of the next few years.