Will the Boat Sink the Water
| Company type | Book |
|---|---|
| Industry | Publishing |
| Founded | 2004 (original Chinese edition), 2006 (English edition) |
| Products | Non-fiction book |
Will the Boat Sink the Water? The Life of China's Peasants is a 2006 factual work authored by the duo Chen Guidi and Wu Chuntao. This title represents the English version of Zhongguo Nongmin Diaocha (中国农民调查, translated as "An Investigation of Chinese Peasants"), initially released in Chinese in 2004.
Focusing on four rural villages within Anhui province, the book exposes the overbearing tax demands imposed by local CCP officials and the ensuing peasant uprisings. It provides a thorough examination of the historical and systemic causes behind tensions between grassroots CCP authorities and rural inhabitants.
Publication history
Portions of the original Chinese text were published in late 2003, achieving sales around 100,000 copies. The complete edition, issued in January 2004, reached nearly 200,000 copies sold within two months. By March 2004, authorities in the People’s Republic of China banned the book. Nonetheless, it emerged as an "underground mega-bestseller," with unauthorized editions exceeding 7 million copies sold by 2005. In certain Chinese retail outlets, copies were reportedly priced at 22 yuan (approximately US$2.65).
Reception
The book Will the Boat Sink the Water garnered positive critical acclaim and was awarded the 2004 Lettre Ulysses Award.
Impact
An Investigation of Chinese Peasants had a profound effect across mainland China. Joseph Kahn from the New York Times highlighted its role in illuminating how swift economic expansion overlooked nearly two-thirds of the population living in rural regions. A reviewer affiliated with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences described it as a societal "alarm bell." Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, recognized for his initiatives addressing rural-urban inequality, reportedly kept a copy beside his bed. During Wen's and Hu Jintao’s leadership, reforms including the elimination of the principal agricultural tax were implemented; Kahn suggested that Chen and Wu’s work played a part in influencing these policy changes.
Libel trial
Following publication, Zhang Xide, a local Communist Party official portrayed as corrupt and repressive toward peasants in the book, filed a libel lawsuit against Chen and Wu seeking damages of 200,000 yuan. According to Time, notable lawyers from Beijing volunteered to defend the authors, while peasants returned to show support during the four-day court proceedings. Civil rights attorney Pu Zhiqiang served as their legal representative. Journalist Philip Pan noted that courtroom dynamics shifted unfavorably for Zhang and Party officials during cross-examination. The presiding judge opted not to deliver a formal verdict; subsequently, Chen and Wu’s publisher privately settled with Zhang for 50,000 yuan to conclude the matter.
Philip Pan later chronicled this trial in his book Out of Mao's Shadow.