Zhang Ruimin was born on January 5, 1949 to a working class family in Qingdao, Shandong; his parents were employed in a local garment factory.[3] As a youth, Zhang was swept up in the Cultural Revolution and like many other students, he joined the Red Guards as the movement cascaded across the country. He visited Mao's birthplace and attended rallies in Beijing since all schools had been closed, and when the movement was finally disbanded, he was able to avoid being sent down to the countryside.[4] Due to the widespread upheaval, Zhang was unable to attend university (most having been shut down); instead, he began his career in obscurity at a state-run construction company in Qingdao in 1968.[5][6]