Section two Prosperity:A Thousand-year Dream and Unremitting Pursuit

Prosperity is primarily an economic concept, revealing people's basic requirements on material wealth and economic life.Firstly,“prosperity”lies in people's prosperity.People's prosperity does not refer to great welfare, but indicates the abundance of material life, i.e.“ample food and clothing”as commonly known, and the status of the abundant material resources for individuals and families.The material interest constitutes the basic demands for people's existence and development as well as the material guarantee to promote social progress and people's free development.During the development course of human history, the productive labor that creates material wealth and pursues material interests constitutes the foundation for social and historical development.Since human emerged, as the demands for survival and the basic pursuit, people have put great efforts to get rid of material scarcity and constantly created and accumulated material wealth.For human, with the abundant and rich material condi tions, people can live a better life, seize their own destiny better and enjoy more conditions and space for self development and self realization.Therefore, according to Marxism, only based on the highly developed productivity and abundant and flowing social wealth can the one-sided individual development be avoided, and the free and comprehensive individual development be realized.

A country's prosperity does not mean the powerful military strength but refer to the strong comprehensive national force that exerts huge influence on other countries and their order.As for a country, the comprehensive strength is decided by the economic foundation.Economic prosperity provides people a good living and satisfactory life, social stability and harmony, vigorous culture and greater influence in international competition.Therefore, the prosperity of ancient Greece has fascinated the people by now; the strength of ancient Roman Empire has set up the benchmark for other powers;the Napoleonic period of France was an important chapter of history;and the current America is of special importance in the global pattern. The poverty and weakness of a country may endanger the survival and lead to sufferings of a country.The decline of ancient Egypt and ancient Babylon resulted in the elimination of their civilization; the poor and backward Asia, Africa and Latin American in modern times were conquered and grabbed as colonies of great powers; the late Qing Dynasty of a weak power had lost the land, made it difficult for people to live on and suffered greatly from invasion; and, currently, the central African countries, where economic development had stopped or declined for years, are still in ferment today and come to the brink of collapse.

Ancient Chinese people dreamed a beautiful life of“delicious food, beautiful clothes, steady accommodation and happy customs”；and the saints and masters had conceived of an ideal society where“the elderly people wear silk and eat meat, and the common people do not suffer from hunger or coldness”and“the old are provided for till their death, the adults are employed, and the young are developed; Widows and widowers, orphans and the childless, the sick and disabled, all are well cared for”.All the ideal modes for life and society involve the abundant material conditions and are built on the foundation of steady social environment and ample wealth.To get rid of weakness and pursue prosperity, people have explored in various ways.Some lived on hunt to survive; some established the country based on agriculture to guarantee enough food and clothes; some developed the country through industry to attain powers; and some enriched the country through trade to obtain the hegemony.Despite different measures and different state, the pursuit to prosperity never wavered.The history of human development is exactly the history of people's pursuit of prosperity.

During the exploration for prosperity, the Chinese nation had made remarkable achievements and also learned bitter lessons.

As early as in the distant past, the Yellow Emperor, the humane primogenitor of Chinese nation, had advocated diligent cultivation and seeding and led common people to plant grains and raise livestock, to enable people to be well fed and clothed and make a good living.In the productive activities, ancestors had constantly improved the production tools, bettered the production technologies, constructed water conservancy projects and promoted planting of agricultural crops, and had accumulated rich experiences based on wisdom and efforts and created miracles one after another.In late Spring and Autumn Period, the application of ox plowing and iron agricultural implements had realized the leap-forward development of social productivity, when the uncultivated land was reclaimed, cultivated land was increased, and the state-owned agricultural land system, pushing China to the stage of feudal society.In the Warring States Period, the wide application of ox plowing and iron agricultural implements had significantly promoted the development of social economy and laid the material foundation for the expansion of Qin.In Western Han Dynasty, the further promotion of ox and horse plowing and iron implements and the emergence of animal-draw seed plough and jacquard machine had brought China with the first time of prosperity in terms of economic development; and the water-driven blower in Eastern Han, water mill in the Three Kingdoms Period, scoop waterwheel in Tang Dynasty and the inventory and improvement of the curved shaft plow had played a decisive role for the prosperity and progress of social economics.The Book of Diverse Crafts, Essential Skills to Benefit People, Agricultural Treatise, Notes Written in Dream and Exploitation of the Works of Nature all revealed ancient people's great achievements in agriculture and animal husbandry, handicraft manufacture and scientific and technological exploration.

Relevant Link

The enormous strides on agricultural economics and technologies in the Period of Yellow Empire had been proved by archaeological materials.According to current archaeological discoveries and researches, the Longshan Culture at the mid-stream of the Yellow River distributed at Shaanxi, Henan, south Shanxi, south Henan and northwest of Anhui inherited Yangshao Culture.In this period, social economics had seen a significant progress.The stone-made production implements were polished more delicately, and the chopping tools were extremely rarely seen. The excavation tool wood plow was already in use, and the stone battleaxe and triangular plow were found in some sites.These improved production tools had greatly improved the capability to reclaim the land. The wide use of harvesting tools such as perforated stone knives, stone scythes and shell scythes had demonstrated the considerate scale of agricultural production at that time and the increase of the harvesting amount.People's clothing materials at that time have been developed from skins to plant fiber.Villages were more intensively distributed. The rites appliances and instruments made in pottery, stone, jade, lacquer and wood etc.also astonish us for their delicacy beyond compare. Some carvings and written symbols can be confirmed as the embryo of Chinese characters.The types and amount of livestock had been increased, and the pig's head was applied for burial objects in some graves.

For the sake of prosperity, Guan Zhong, the prime minister of State Qi in the Spring and Autumn Period, reformed the systems and regulations, and made State Qi apart from rivals and dominate the age; Li Kui's reform in the Warring States Period had unveiled the curtain of reform in the Warring States Period, when all countries followed the way of strengthening the country through reforms and finally made up a trend of time, constituting the largest, longest and most effective reform in Chinese history.Wang Anshi in Northern Song had launched the reform to cast way the accumulated evil practices and changed the weakness of the country to some degree. The“rehabilitation policy”of Emperor Gaozu of Han Dynasty, “restoration”of Emperor Guangwu of Han Dynasty, the“two taxes”proposed by Yang Yan in Tang Dynasty, the“single tax in silver”put forward by Zhang Juzheng in Ming Dynasty and the“unified taxation”implemented in Yongzheng's throne on Qing Dynasty, had lessened the taxes and other burdens of people, rested people and brought about the economic development, growth of national power, social stability and people's good living.Dujiang water conservancy project built under the leadership of Li Bing and his son turned the Sichuan Basin that bitterly suffered from drought and flood to the“nature's storehouse”with vast fertile land; and the excavation of the Grand Canal had joined the main artery for southern and northern traffic in ancient China and made the place along the Canal the richest agricultural area and the most advanced industrial base of China.

Due to economic development, people could enjoy more results from development.“Other than flood and drought, common people can feed themselves and fill up their barns and the government has surplus wealth”exactly restored the prosperity of people and government's full treasury.As estimated by scholars, from the late Western Han Dynasty to late Eastern Han Dynasty, the annual grain output of each agricultural laborer had attained 1,000 kg, the annual grain as food for each agricultural laborer was 243 kg, and everyone held 320 kg of grains each year.From Zhenguan to Kaiyuan periods of Tang Dynasty, people could basically live beyond merely enough food and clothing, which was incredible in other countries in the 6th century.Based on the abundant material life, the culture in Tang Dynasty was quite brilliant and glorious achievements had been attained in respect to religious thinking, literary, art and scientific technology etc.Outstanding figures such as Li Bai, Du Fu, Xuan Zang, Liu Zhiji, Monk Yixing and Sun Simiao emerged in this age and added the brick to the construction of“Glorious Tang Grandness”.The Chinese nation had ushered in an unprecedented golden age of development, innovation and cultural prosperity in Song Dynasty, when great achievements had been obtained on agricultural civilization, urban civilization and material civilization, the urban commerce and handicraft had rapidly developed, the new rank of wealthy people, with businessmen as the representative, had shown up, people lived happily, enjoyed their leisure life other than production activities and favored travel and entertainment and the diet culture, tea culture, architecture and housing culture had developed sharply.It was the largest and most advanced country of the greatest productivity of the world.

The Chinese nation's efforts to pursue prosperity had once been eroded, broken up or restricted by corruption, wars, and smallscale farmer consciousness and isolation policies.However, the prosperity built on the basis of agricultural civilization could not be inexhaustible.From the view of the historical development of human, agricultural civilization would be necessarily replaced by the industrial civilization.After the Industrial Revolution, a country still based on agricultural civilization would stop and could not help but lead to the way of decline.In the late Ming and early Qing periods, when Western European countries successively stepped into the industry-oriented capitalist society from the agriculture-based feudal society, China still stayed in the agriculture-based feudal society.The Kangxi and Qianlong's Heyday in Qing Dynasty was essentially the final flame of the whole feudal society that had lasted for more than two thousand years in China.In Ming Dynasty, no matter the heavy industry such as iron and architecture or the light industry including silk, cotton and porcelain, the industrial output of China accounted for over 2/3 of the whole world, far greater than the proportion of agricultural output in the world.In Kangxi and Qianlong's Heyday，the total output of iron and cloth failed to be restored to the level at late Ming Dynasty, despite the population several times larger than that in Ming Dynasty.The per-capita GDP at the middle period of Kangxi's throne had reached the peak of the whole Kangxi's throne, since when, the per-capital GDP had gone way done under the pressure from population.In 1840, soon after the end of Kangxi and Qianlong's Heyday, the industrial output of China only made up 6% of the whole world, and the output and the proportion to the world could not be compared to the late Ming period 200 years ago.The whole country became increasingly poor and weak, and poverty was quite common.People wore in rags, suffered hunger, worked hard but earned little and even had no choice but to sell their children.

Classic description

Capitalists came to China aiming to subdue China, place China in the world capitalism system as colony or semi-colony and make China the economic and political vassal.However, at this time, China was still drowning in the dream of Celestial Empire and had no understanding about the world development or enemies.China, once be ing powerful and rich, lagged behind in the industrialization age, while backward nation was sure to be bullied.In 1840, due to the loss of the 1stOpium War, Qing government was forced to sign SinoBritish Treaty of Nanking, since when the national independence and territorial integrity was started to be damaged, and China was gradually turning from the feudal society to semi-colonial and semi-feudal society.From the Sino-British Treaty of Nanking to the foundation of new China, China had signed a total of about 1,182 unequal treaty and agreement with foreign invaders.The ancient country that was glorious and proud of being the“celestial empire”had to cede territory and pay indemnities.The whole nation was full of inferiority and shame compared to the previous pride and could not cast the shadow away by now.

Against the aggressive rising west and the decline from power to weakness of Chin, some patriots were aroused and spared no effort to save the nation, enrich the country and strengthen the people.

In 1851, Taiping Rebellion broke out at Jintian Village, Guiping County, Guangxi Province.Then they established Taiping Heavenly Kingdom and issued the Land System of the Heavenly Kingdom, thus to realize the ideal of“farmlands are for all to till, foods are for all to consume, clothes are for all to wear, and money are for all to spend; and there will be equality everywhere, and everybody will be fed and clothed.”However, Taiping Rebellion finally failed as the peasantry did not represent the advanced productivity;and the ideal paradise described in the Land System of the Heavenly Kingdom was not realized, but only an impractical idea.

Reformists including Lin Zexu and Wei Yuan etc.had written books to discuss on politics, called for resistance against powers and reform inside, and proposed the thought of“learning from foreigners to restrict the foreigners”.They researched on western studies, advocated learning western technologies and particularly suggested to resist the west with military technologies.

From 1861 to 1895, the officials of Qing government, such as Yi Xin, Wen Xiang, Zeng Guofan, Li Hongzhang and Zuo Zongtang etc., initiated the Self-Strengthening Movement mainly on learning the“good technologies”of the west（also known as“Westernization Movement”）.With On the Substance of“Chinese Learning as the Fundamental Structure, Western Learning for Application”and the slogan of“self-strengthening”and“prosperity”, they tried to learn from the western capitalist countries about the weapons, equipment and advanced technologies to reinvigorate the army, defense the foreign aggression and consolidate the governance of Qing government. They widely introduced the western scientific and technological results, translated numerous books, established schools, sent students to study abroad, adopted many methods to run private enterprises, developed national industry and opened the door to industrial development and modernization of China.

Further Reading

Westernization Movement

The loss of Jiawu Sino-Japanese War resulted in the new national crisis and awakened the national spirit.Intellectuals such as Liang Qichao, Tan Sitong and Yan Fu proposed the reflections on the Westernization Movement, indicating learning not only western scientific technologies but also the western capitalist social system, thoughts and culture.They drew lessons from reforms in foreign countries by establishing associations, creating newspapers and launching discussions, spread the western political theories and started the Movement of 1898, also known as Hundred Days of Reform.

As stimulated by the national crisis and promoted and planned by the reform school, Emperor Guangxu had successively issued a series of administrative orders on reforms from June 11 to Sep.t 211898, including learning western science and culture, reforming political and education system and developing agriculture, industry and commerce etc.In September 1898, Emperor Guangxu was imprisoned, and Six Gentlemen Martyrs of the reformers including Tan Sitong were killed, indicating the failure of the reform lasting for 103 days. This moderate improvement from top down that did not affect the feudal foundation in no way could save the country or lead China to the way of prosperity.

Through the blood of Six Gentlemen Martyrs, some of progressive intellectuals became aware that revolution was the only way to attain national independence and prosperity.The bourgeois revolutionaries led by Sun Yat-sen advocated“sovereignty belongs to the people”, regarded people as the root of the country and proposed the complete and clear guiding outline for revolutionary, the Three People's Principles, i.e.overthrowing Qing government, changing the policies of nation discrimination and oppression and realizing national independence; abandoning the feudal autocratic monarchy system and establishing the bourgeois democratic republic; and equalizing the land ownership, realizing social justice and eliminating the gap between the rich and poor.The revolutionaries had organized a series of armed insurrections in China.The Revolution of 1911 broke out in 1911, overthrew the monarchy in 1912, established the Nanjing Provisional Government and created the bourgeois republic. Nanjing Provisional Government had successively released a series of policies and measures favorable for development of industry and commerce, promoted the national capitalism economic development and made the initial year of the republic of China the“golden time”for capitalist development in China.

However, as supported by western powers, original officials and constitutionalists, Yuan Shikai stole the results of the Revolution in 1912 and restored monarchy finally.Later, the governance of the Northern warlords again threw China to the endless darkness. The democratic republic system from the west did not bring China with democracy and prosperity but caused the disorder of Chinese politics, decline of China and poverty of people.Sun Yat-sen was depressed to say that at that time, “China was even politically and socially darker and more corruptive than the original Qing Dynasty, and people even led a poorer and bitterer life”.The bourgeois revolutionaries with Sun Yat-sen as the representative had made many efforts to complete the revolution but all failed at last, including the failure of programs of western bourgeois civilization, bourgeois democracy and bourgeois republic in China.Without mobilizing the vast masses, relying on the revolutionary forces among people or involving common people, the national independence, country prosperity and people's happiness could not be realized.

All attempts to save the country in modern China had all ended in a failure, including the constitutional monarchy, restoration of the monarchy, parliamentary system, multi-party system and president system.The mission of national independence, people's liberation and country's prosperity had fallen on the Communist Party of China and the Chinese people under its leadership.Through 28 years of hard struggle, Chinese people had finally overthrown the imperialism, feudalism and bureaucrat capitalism in China, become the master and started the new journey to pursue happiness of the country and people.

Prosperity, being the pressing desire of people, is what the Communist Party of China always strives for.

After the founding of the Communist Party of China, leaders had adopted the New Democracy, realized the national independence and people's liberation and explored the path to prosperity.Right after the foundation of new China, the country had been wrecked by wars and suffered poverty.In this case, the Communist Party of China and people's government relied on vast people, rooted out the remaining opposition, overcame the block, damage and armed aggression by imperialism and consolidated the newly born people's authority.

After the work focus was transferred from rural area to urban area, the Communist Party of China immediately gave priority to restoration and development of social production, relied on industrial workers, mobilized business and industry community, enabled the country to revive rapidly, stabilized the prices, unified the finance, gave an end to the financial imbalance between incomes and expenses for decades of years in old China, and created an economic miracle of new China.Through three years of efforts, Chinese people had realized the overall restoration and initial development of national economy.By 1952, the gross output value of industry and commerce and the yield of major industrial and agricultural products had exceeded the highest level before 1949, people in either rural and urban area lived better life and the financial and economic status of the country had fundamentally looked up.

The nationwide land system reform had exempted the vast peasants lacking cultivated land from the economic exploitation by the landlord class and the personal bondage resulting from the feudal land system.Peasants, who were liberated economically and politically, showed extremely great activity in production, which vigorously facilitated the restoration and development of Chinese urban economy.Meanwhile, the Communist Party of China had spared no effort to eliminate prostitution, drug sale and use and other social diseases, and had successfully regenerated the social features and morals.

On this basis, the Communist Party of China had led people to initiate the socialist transformation of agricultural, handicraft and capitalist industry and commerce, aiming to organize the backward and decentralized agriculture, handicraft and capitalist business and industry through cooperation or joint venture, form the economic system suitable for the large-scale industrialization construction and construct the socialist economic system with the public system as a foundation.In 1956, the completion of the“Three Major Transformation”symbolized the elimination of the feudal exploitation and exploiting class and realized the most profound and greatest social transformation for thousands of years in China.

China had developed in twists and turns in the two decades between 1956 and 1976.China had been encountered with frustrations and misfortunes and paid considerably high price in some respects, but meanwhile, China had still attained great achievements in politics, economics, transport and traffic, hygiene, science and technology and diplomacy.From 1820 to 2000, China's productivity fluctuated acutely, compared to the world advanced level, which showed significant decline for a long time from 1820 to 1949, and had sharply increased from 1949 to 2000.The figure of the long-term variation of China's productivity has reflected the twisted development course showing the decline and rise, backwardness and pursuit of China.

Since the late 1970s, the Communist Party of China and the country have revived from the danger, transferred the working focus of the Party and state to economic construction, adjusted the social relations in an al-l around way, implemented reform and opening up and enabled common people to devote themselves into construction freely and passionately.

Further Reading

Without ready experiences or pattern that can be referred to, the reform of China was groping forward and exploring through practices. In 1978, disastrous drought broke out in Anhui, where people could not be well fed.To help peasants out of the crisis, the CPC Anhui provincial Party committee decided to lend the collective deserted land to the peasants for framing, with the harvests belonging to themselves.This measure greatly stimulated peasants'production activity.They not only overcame the drought that year and gained the harvests greater than common years.As inspired by this experience, Anhui peasants tried a new method, which was afterward named as“household contract responsibility system”and was promoted nationwide.By the end of 1981, 90% of villages in China adopted this method.

The reform and opening up for over three decades has aroused the activity, initiatives and creativity of hundreds of millions of Chinese and brought about the rapid and constant development in China. The Chinese economy has developed from the brink of collapse to the second largest economic entity in terms of the total quantity, the second largest country of trade, the second largest country of foreign investment and the largest country of foreign exchange.With the significant rise of comprehensive national force, Chinese economy contributes over 20% of the world economic growth each year on average and therefore becomes the important driver for the world economic development.People now have attained the comprehensive well-being society, compared to the previous sufferings of hunger and cold ness.In addition, people are enjoying increasingly diversified material and spiritual culture, with the steps same with the world.

The three-decade period after reform and opening up has seen the most rapid economic and social development of China, the fastest growth of comprehensive national force and the greatest benefits and improvements to people's life.The prosperity of the country and people brought about by the reform and opening up is reflected by the huge changes in the clothing, food, houses, transportation and daily necessities that everyone can feel in daily life.