(September 1958)
[Xinhua News Agency, 30th] Chairman Mao Zedong recently toured several provinces in the Yangtze River basin.
From September 10 to 15, Chairman Mao was in Wuhan, where he inspected the first iron output from Wuhan Iron and Steel Company’s blast furnace; met with worker masses; observed iron tapping at a small blast furnace in the No. 1 Textile Mill;
on the 12th, he visited the chemistry department of Wuhan University and examined numerous small chemical plants run by teachers and students, holding a meeting with faculty and students there;
on the 13th, he visited the Wuhan Heavy Machine Tool Plant and spoke with workers. While in Wuhan, he also held talks with cadres from various sectors.
[1]
This is a new draft of remarks made by Mao Zedong to a Xinhua News Agency reporter upon his return to Beijing on September 29, after touring several provinces and cities in the Yangtze River region during his September 1958 tour. The draft was reviewed and revised by Mao Zedong himself.
[2]
According to a Xinhua report dated September 28, 1958, Mao Zedong inspected Wuhan Iron and Steel Company, the Daye Iron Ore District, the Daye Steel Plant, and a small blast furnace at the Wuchang No. 1 Textile Mill. During these inspections, Mao instructed that large enterprises like Wuhan Steel could gradually be developed into comprehensive integrated companies, producing not only a variety of steel products but also engaging in machinery, chemical, and construction industries. He further emphasized that such large enterprises should involve agriculture, commerce, education, and the military, in addition to industry. While visiting the Daye Iron Ore District, Mao commended the “package contracting” method being employed in its infrastructure projects. After hearing a briefing from district officials, he noted that adopting this approach for infrastructure construction could significantly reduce costs.
(Published in the People’s Daily on September 29, 1958)
[3]
Xinhua also reported on September 28, 1958, about Mao Zedong’s visit to Wuhan University. The report stated that Mao pointed out that students’ voluntary demand for a work-study system was a positive development—an inevitable trend toward schools establishing their own factories—and that such requests should be approved and actively supported and encouraged. He also instructed that, in the course of educational reform, full use should be made of the enthusiasm of teachers and students, pooling wisdom from all sides.
face.
On the 15th, Chairman Mao traveled from Wuchang via Echeng and Dazhi to Huangshi Port, inspecting thriving agricultural production along the way, the Dazhi Iron Mountain, and the Huangshi Port Special Steel Plant, where he met with worker masses.
On the morning of the 16th, Chairman Mao arrived in Anqing, where he inspected a small blast furnace at a local middle school and a group of small blast furnaces operated by government organs, holding meetings with the people of Anqing. That day, he reached Hefei, the capital of Anhui Province, passing through Tongcheng, Shucheng, and Feixi counties, observing abundant agricultural activity and a people’s commune. Along the highway, he witnessed large numbers of people traveling tens or even hundreds of kilometers to reach counties rich in iron ore, in order to mine and smelt iron. This marked Mao’s first visit to Hefei. There, he inspected two medium-sized steel plants, an agricultural tools exhibition, and a hall showcasing industrial and agricultural products as well as innovations. While en route in his car, he observed crowds heading to distant counties in search of iron ore.
Mao’s visits to Hefei were accompanied by
There are few reports detailing Mao’s meetings with cadres in Wuhan during this trip. Only Wang Renzhong, First Secretary of the Hubei Provincial Committee of the CPC, mentioned them in his “Two Notes” published in the fifth issue of the July 1st magazine in 1958. In those notes, he recounted accompanying Mao in a car one afternoon to visit a small blast furnace at the No. 1 Textile Mill, where they discussed that year’s bumper harvest and the hardworking spirit of the peasants. Mao asked him, “Do you think the agricultural cooperatives should hold a celebration to mark the丰收, so people can eat some meat and drink some wine…?” Wang replied, “Yes, we could celebrate both National Day and the丰收on National Day.” Mao then said, “In that case, we need to issue an official instruction; otherwise, some might accuse us of extravagance.” Furthermore, Mao told Wang, “During the three-year arduous struggle, we must avoid excessive accumulation. We need to ensure that the more the peasants work, the more motivated and energized they become.” On another occasion, which he could no longer recall precisely, Mao remarked, “Many things seem strange: either there is very little, or there is an abundance. Over the past nine years, grain production increased very slowly, and we constantly worried about shortages. But this single year has seen an increase of hundreds of billions of jin. Our grain supply has doubled this year, and it may double again next year. In this way, our grain reserves will become virtually limitless. The same applies to steel. We have produced only a few million tons over the past nine years, yet in just a few months this year we may add several million tons more… Isn’t that remarkable?”
[2]
Refers to Mao Zedong’s visit to the Shutcha People’s Commune in Shucheng County, Anhui Province. According to a September 29, 1958 report in the Anhui Daily, upon learning that the commune had established a public canteen and already provided free meals, Mao stated: “If one commune can achieve free meals, other eligible communes can do the same. Since meals can be free, clothing may also become free in the future.” Zeng Xisheng, First Secretary of the Anhui Provincial Party Committee, added that the commune’s canteen currently does not provide vegetables, which members bring themselves; however, it would eventually supply vegetables as well. Mao commented: “People’s communes should centrally cultivate vegetables, and vegetable farming should be specialized.”

He met with cadres and broad sections of the population; in Wuhu, he inspected factories and held talks with cadres.
On the 20th, Chairman Mao arrived at the Ma’anshan Steel Plant, where he met with workers and citizens. On the 20th, he proceeded to Nanjing to meet with cadres, then went to Shanghai to meet with officials and visit a steel plant. Chairman Mao returned to Beijing on September 29.
Chairman Mao told our correspondent: During this trip, I witnessed the tremendous drive of the people, and on this basis, all tasks can be accomplished. First and foremost, we must complete the tasks on the steel front. On the steel front, the broad masses have already been mobilized. However, across the country, there are still some localities and enterprises that have not done a good job of mobilizing the masses—no mass meetings have been held, and the tasks, reasons, and methods have not been clearly explained to the people, nor have debates been conducted among them. To this day, some comrades remain reluctant to launch large-scale mass movements in industry, dismissing such efforts as “irregular,” labeling them “rural-style” or “guerrilla-like.” This is clearly wrong. Chairman Mao told the reporter: While vigorously developing steel production, we must not neglect agriculture.
[1]
Anhui Daily
The September 29, 1958 report also mentioned Mao Zedong’s conversations with female cadres during his stay in Hefei. Mao said, “Unless every person has access to one or two thousand jin of grain annually, unless there are public canteens, welfare homes, nurseries, literacy campaigns, and opportunities for children to attend primary, secondary, and higher education, women cannot truly be liberated.” He emphasized that only by successfully establishing people’s communes could women achieve genuine liberation. In people’s communes, wages and supplies are distributed directly to individuals rather than to heads of households, which greatly benefits women and young people, thereby dismantling patriarchal structures and bourgeois legalistic thinking.
[2]
The Anhui Daily also reported on September 29, 1958, about Mao Zedong’s inspection of the Ma’anshan Steel Plant. The report stated that, despite the rain, Mao inspected the plant’s No. 5 blast furnace, the steelmaking workshop, and Nos. 7 and 8 blast furnaces, carefully inquiring about various details. Mao remarked that Ma’anshan was in excellent condition and could be developed into a medium-sized integrated steel enterprise, as such development could proceed relatively quickly. The report indicated that, following his inspections of several steel plants in Anhui Province, Mao focused on the issue of developing the steel industry, stating: “Developing the steel industry absolutely requires vigorous mass movements. All work must be carried out through mass mobilization; without it, nothing can be achieved.”
The people’s commune must properly cultivate wheat and rapeseed and deeply till the land.
The agricultural tasks for 1959 should represent an even greater leap forward than those of 1958. To achieve this, labor resources in both industry and agriculture must be effectively organized, and the people’s commune model should be widely promoted. Chairman Mao said: The militia divisions are well-organized and should be replicated. They serve as military organizations, labor organizations, educational institutions, and sports groups. Chairman Mao stated: The imperialists are bullying us in this way, and we must respond seriously. We not only need a strong regular army, but we must also vigorously develop militia divisions. In this way, when imperialism attempts to invade our country, they will find it extremely difficult to advance. Chairman Mao added: The lifespan of imperialist powers is not long, because they consistently engage in harmful activities—supporting anti-people reactionary forces in various countries, seizing vast colonies, semi-colonies, and military bases, and threatening world peace with nuclear war. As a result, over 90 percent of people worldwide are now or will soon unite against them. However, imperialists are still alive today and continue to act aggressively in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. They also oppress their own populations in the Western world. Chairman Mao declared: This situation must change. Ending imperialism—primarily U.S. imperialism’s aggression and oppression—is the common task of people around the world.
General Zhang Zhizhong accompanied Chairman Mao on this trip. He was a member of the National People’s Congress and Vice Chairman of the National Defense Commission. He was originally from Anhui Province and was interested in the Great Leap Forward in both industry and agriculture. He was particularly concerned about those in Taiwan who had previously been connected to him, hoping they would recognize the brutality of U.S. imperialism and turn toward the path of patriotism.
In 1958, while traveling, Mao Zedong occasionally stepped down from his special train to take a stroll.