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History 6: China, Taiwan and how nations grow rich

Planet Money Summer School

CHAPTER

Seeds of Change: The Xiaogang Experiment

This chapter recounts the struggles of farmers in Xiaogang, China, as they confront food shortages and apathy within a rigid communist system. A secret gathering sparks a revolutionary idea allowing families to cultivate their own plots of land, leading to increased productivity and a shift towards capitalism. It highlights the complexities of transitioning from collective farming to personal ownership amid political and social tensions in 1978 China.

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