Birthplace of Rural Reform in China FU Jun (Peking University)*

    Preface: 

Xiaogang Village is located in Xiaoxihe Town, Fengyang County, Chuzhou City, Anhui Province, China.

Prior to 1978, Xiaogang Village was infamous or its poverty. One line of a folk song went: " Ever since Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang, of every ten years famine are nine. " Folk performers of Fengyang Flower Drum sang songs like this when begging in neighboring regions during periods of economic downturn. Indeed, before 1978, grain output was enver sufficient to feed the village, and the governemtn provided still-inadequate food rations. People ate whatever they could find. 

Yet in 1979, in a dramatic way, the village effectiely turned itself from a "village of beggars" to a "village of outliners" in positive sense. It produced an astonishing 66,000 kilograms of grain, roughly the total output for the previous five years; its per capita income rose from 22 yuan to 400 yuan, about 18 times greater than one year before. What led to the village's sudden and purprising rise from poverty?

Copyrighted material. Use in class discussion is authorized by Prof. Fu Jun.

• This is part of a narrative project on China stories and is financially supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. During various stages of its composition and rendition, including research, interviews, transcribing, drafting, drawing, translations, and classroom teaching and discussion, I have been assisted by a dedicated taskforce. Members include Zhou Qiang, Yin Jianhong, Xin Ying, Gabriel Lerner, Zoe Jordan, and Zhao Ting. I also want to express my thanks to students, too many to name here, especially from developing countries, for participating in my classes and training sessions, and giving feedbacks.

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