Letter to Wu Han[1]

(November 24, 1948)

Mr. Chenbo:

It was a great pleasure to have had two conversations with you. I have finished reading your major work[2] and am now returning it. This book is the fruit of great diligence, excavates and explores a wide range of material, has given me much enlightenment, for which I am deeply grateful. I have some immature opinions, offered merely for reference, which I have already conveyed to you in person. In addition, there is one further point, namely, on the question of method, it seems that you, sir, have not yet fully accepted historical materialism as the methodology for observing history. If you, sir, would exert greater effort in this regard, your future achievements would be boundless. I extend to you

revolutionary salutations!

Mao Zedong

November 24

I am introducing Comrade Qiaomu to come and see you, and beg you to kindly give him guidance. He is my secretary here, concurrently in charge of the work of the Xinhua News Agency.

[1] Wu Han (1909–1969), courtesy name Chenbo, a native of Yiwu, Zhejiang Province, historian, formerly a professor at Tsinghua University and other institutions. In the autumn of 1948 he entered the Liberated Areas, and in November Mao Zedong met with him in Pingshan, Hebei. After the founding of the New China, he served as Vice-Mayor of Beijing.

[2] Refers to the book *Biography of Zhu Yuanzhang* written by Wu Han. In November 1948, when Wu Han arrived in Pingshan, Hebei, he presented the revised manuscript of this book to Mao Zedong for his perusal. After reading it, Mao Zedong offered some opinions. Later, in the author’s preface to the 1965 edition of *Biography of Zhu Yuanzhang*, Wu Han stated that these opinions “gave him inspiration in theory.”

Mr. Wu Chunbai. Manuscript of the letter from Mao Zedong to Wu Han.

Letter to Wu Han

Mr. Chenbo:

This conversation was a great pleasure. Your major work has been away for some time, and is now returned. The effort exerted on it above is very diligent, the excavation and exploration very broad, it has given me much enlightenment, for which I am deeply grateful. Some opinions that do not hold water, offered for reference, have also been conveyed in person. In addition, there is one further point, namely, on the question of method, you, sir, have not yet fully accepted historical materialism as the methodology for observing history. If you, sir, grasp this method and earnestly exert a measure of effort, your achievements will surely be

boundless. I extend to you revolutionary salutations!

Mao Zedong

Now introduced by Zhan Muchuan to come and see you, guidance was already given on the fourteenth day of the month. He is my recent secretary, concurrently in charge of the work of the Xinhua News Agency.