About this book:

"Under the Red Flag" offers a microhistorical examination of rural collectivization in China from 1949 to 1978, moving beyond national policy narratives to explore the lived experiences of peasants in specific villages. The book details the profound transformations that swept through the countryside, beginning with the radical land reform (1949-1952) that dismantled the landlord class and redistributed land, briefly establishing the household farm as the new norm. This was quickly followed by the formation of mutual aid teams and then lower-stage agricultural producers' cooperatives (APCs), which introduced collective labor and shared resources while retaining some private ownership.

The study then delves into the dramatic shift to high-stage APCs, marking the end of household farming and the full collectivization of land and resources. It examines the crucial role of village cadres as the interface between state directives and local realities, highlighting their power, accountability, and the complex negotiations inherent in their positions. The introduction of work points as the primary currency for labor remuneration is explored, revealing how this system reshaped daily labor, generated disputes, and often codified gendered inequalities. The narrative also uncovers the radical experiment of communal kitchens during the Great Leap Forward, which promised liberation but often led to severe food shortages and transformed the intimate act of eating into a political and public performance.

Furthermore, the book investigates the state's "war on nature" through massive water conservancy projects and land reclamation efforts, often with disastrous ecological consequences. It documents the establishment of the barefoot doctor program as a unique attempt to bring healthcare to the rural masses, showcasing its strengths and limitations. The omnipresent hukou system is revealed as a critical mechanism for population control, binding peasants to their villages and restricting mobility, even during times of famine. The intricate relationship between official "commune culture" (songs, slogans, model operas) and the persistent, often underground, traditional rituals and folk religions is also explored, demonstrating the resilience of local customs against ideological suppression.

Finally, "Under the Red Flag" chronicles the escalating tensions between state quotas and peasant survival strategies through "hidden negotiations" and the emergence of black markets, revealing the persistent pursuit of individual economic autonomy. The devastating impact of the Cultural Revolution on rural life, particularly its disruption of social order, education, and cultural norms, is detailed. The book concludes with the slow unraveling of the commune system in the 1970s, as quiet experiments and open evasions of collective rules paved the way for the post-Mao reforms, leaving a complex legacy of both suffering and resilience etched into the memories and landscapes of China's villages.