Geng Xiufeng Diaries, 1944-1992 (MSS 718)

Extent: 3.4 Linear feet (9 archives boxes)

Writings of Geng Xiufeng, peasant activist and leader from the village of Wugong, China. The collection contains 55 bound, handwritten diaries and one folder of loose pages written by Geng from 1944 to 1992, documenting his reactions to agricultural reforms directed by the state.

Geng Xiufeng was born in the village of Wugong, China, in 1913. Geng received seven years of primary education and worked in education and publishing. In the 1940s his interest in agrarian socialism led him to organize several small agricultural cooperatives. He later participated in the formation of one of the first large co-ops in his home village of Wugong and continued to promote co-op formation for many years.

In the 1980s Geng met American historian Paul Pickowicz who was interviewing North China peasants for oral history research projects. Geng shared with him volumes of his writings, which included a record of events in his life, his thoughts on state directed agricultural reforms, and letters written to powerful officials. Pickowicz used these writings as key sources for two books and several articles including: Chinese Village, Socialist State (Yale 1991) and Revolution, Resistance, and Reform in Village China (Yale, 2005).

Geng had a stroke in 1995, which forced him to stop writing. He died in 1999.

The Geng Xiufeng Diaries, comprised of 55 bound, handwritten diaries and one folder of loose pages, were written by Geng Xiufeng from 1944 to 1992. The diaries, written in Chinese, document Geng's life in the village of Wugong, China, as well as his thoughts on the government and agricultural reforms directed by the state.

Volumes were numbered by Paul Pickowicz and are arranged in numerical order by those numbers. Several of the volumes have dates in English on the cover or first page. These are noted when they occur, but may not represent the entire date range within.

Container List

DIARIES

Box 1 Folder 1
1A
Box 1 Folder 2
1B
Box 1 Folder 3
2A
Box 1 Folder 4
2B
Box 2 Folder 1
2C
Box 2 Folder 2
2D - Several pages flagged by Pickowicz, "my 1978 visit," "my 1980 visit"
Box 2 Folder 3
3A
Box 2 Folder 4
3B
Box 2 Folder 5
4A, 1974 September 2
Box 2 Folder 6
4B, 1975 October 26
Box 3 Folder 1
4C, 1976 March 7
Box 3 Folder 2
5A
Box 3 Folder 3
5B
Box 3 Folder 4
5C
Box 3 Folder 5
5D
Box 3 Folder 6
6A
Box 3 Folder 7
6B
Box 4 Folder 1
6C
Box 4 Folder 2
7A
Box 4 Folder 3
7B
Box 4 Folder 4
7C
Box 4 Folder 5
7D
Box 4 Folder 6
7E
Box 4 Folder 7
8A
Box 5 Folder 1
8B
Box 5 Folder 2
8C
Box 5 Folder 3
8D
Box 5 Folder 4
9A
Box 5 Folder 5
9B
Box 5 Folder 6
9C, 1991 April 25
Box 6 Folder 1
10A
Box 6 Folder 2
10B - Several pages flagged by Pickowicz, "March 2, 1987 Letter to Deng," "May 23, 1987 Letter to Du," "August 9, 1987 Letter to Deng"
Box 6 Folder 3
13
Box 6 Folder 4
14
Box 6 Folder 5
15, 1991 August 28
Box 6 Folder 6
16, 1988 November
Box 6 Folder 7
17
Box 6 Folder 8
18
Box 7 Folder 1
21, 1990 May 21
Box 7 Folder 2
22
Box 7 Folder 3
23
Box 7 Folder 4
24
Box 7 Folder 5
25
Box 7 Folder 6
26
Box 7 Folder 7
28
Box 7 Folder 8
29
Box 7 Folder 9
30A
Box 8 Folder 1
30B
Box 8 Folder 2
30C
Box 8 Folder 3
30D
Box 8 Folder 4
30E
Box 8 Folder 5
30F
Box 8 Folder 6 Oversize FB-491-04
31 - Volume contains graphite drawings of Zhu De and Mao Zedong and broadside entitled "Manifesto of Land Partnership Coop" (oversized)
Box 9 Folder 1
32, 1945 December 3
Box 9 Folder 2
33 - Loose pages, ca. 1988
Box 9 Folder 3
34, 1992 January 1