Letter to Chen Boda
(October 1958)
Comrade Boda:
After some thought,
it seems advisable for you and Comrade Zhang ChunqiaoIll to depart for the Henan Satellite Commune three days earlier to carry out investigative work; there is no need to wait for Comrade Liu Zihou121’s report on the 21st. It would be highly beneficial to concentrate your efforts on a seven- to ten-day investigation at the Satellite Commune in preparation of views for the Hangzhou Conference131. You may bring Li Youjiu (4J) along to assist. If you agree, please inform Comrade Ye Zilong so that a special plane can be arranged for you to fly directly to Zhengzhou｜.
Mao Zedong
7:00 A.M., October 19
川
Upon your arrival in Zhengzhou, it would be best to invite Comrade Shi Xiangsheng to accompany you to the Satellite Commune. Shi has conducted research on people’s communes and has previously visited the Satellite Commune. He is a provincial party secretary.
Comrade Boda:
When you go to Henan, please take with you a few copies of the book “Marx, Engels, Lenin, and Stalin on Communist Society”ii」—one for each member of your investigative team. As you conduct your fieldwork, read it concurrently: investigate during the day and study it at night. Over a period of roughly ten days, you should be able to finish the entire book. I also suggest bringing Hu Sheng(2（ and Li Youjiu along to practice methods and attitudes for conducting investigations among the working people, as well as to develop skills in identifying and formulating pertinent questions.
I will be heading to Zhengzhou next week. Upon my arrival, I look forward to hearing your reports on your observations at the Satellite Commune, which can then be discussed at the meeting of the first secretaries of four provinces.
Mao Zedong
7:30 A.M., October 19
川
Comrade Chen Boda:
Your investigation and study of the Satellite Commune will likely take about a week, covering various issues at the commune, brigade, and production team levels. Following this, please arrange several discussion sessions with comrades at the Suiping county level to examine matters pertaining to the entire county. Please handle these arrangements as you see fit.
Mao Zedong
5:00 P.M., October 23–
four
Comrade Chen Boda:
I have received your reply. I still require a few more days before I can set out. Should the Suiping investigation already be completed, you might proceed to another nearby county for a few additional days of inquiry, thereby facilitating comparative analysis. You could return to Zhengzhou around November 2 or 3. I have already instructed Comrades Wu Lengxi and Tian JiayingIl l to depart last night by train, each heading to separate sites—the Qiliying Commune in Xiuwu—for several days of investigation before proceeding to Zhengzhou,｜.
Mao Zedong
4:00 A.M., October 28
[l]

--- Notes

Zhang Chunqiao was then the Minister of the Publicity Department of the Shanghai Municipal Committee of the CPC.
(2]
Liu Zihou was at that time a Secretary of the Secretariat of the Hebei Provincial Committee of the CPC and Governor of Hebei Province.
(3]
The “Hangzhou Conference” should probably be understood as the “Zhengzhou Conference.”
From November 2 to 10, 1958
, Mao Zedong convened in Zhengzhou a working meeting attended by certain central leaders, heads of major administrative regions, and secretaries of several provincial and municipal committees—known as the First Zhengzhou Conference.
(4]
Li Youjiu was then a standing editor of the journal Red Flag.


Refers to the book “Marx, Engels, Lenin, and Stalin on Communist Society,” published by the People’s Publishing House in August 1958.
[2]
Hu Sheng was at that time Deputy Director of the Central Political Research Office of the CPC and a standing editor of the journal Red Flag.


Wu Lengxi was then the President of the Xinhua News Agency and Editor-in-Chief of the People’s Daily. Tian Jiaying was at that time Deputy Director of the Central Political Research Office of the CPC and Mao Zedong’s secretary.
On October 17, 1958, Mao Zedong met with Yang Caihui, Secretary of the Party Committee of Zhengding County in Hebei Province.