My 1998 -- He Jiaqing's Westward Journey Diary

Author: He Jiaqing
Publisher:
Publishing Date: Not available
Features: On February 19, 1998, He Jiaqing, a teacher at Anhui University, embarked on a journey of poverty alleviation with over 290 million yuan he had accumulated over 14 years. He traveled for 305 days, covering a distance of 31,600 kilometers, of which 8,000 kilometers were on foot. He visited 108 counties across 8 provinces, teaching technology to yam farmers and yam enterprises in yam-growing areas. He Jiaqing recorded his observations, experiences, and reflections from the poverty alleviation journey in the form of a diary. The 190,000-character "Westward Diary" documents his joys, sorrows, anger, grief, and fear—his joy in teaching knowledge to yam farmers in the fields; his anger at the stubborn refusal of ignorant and corrupt officials, which deprived farmers of the opportunity to master technology; his sorrow at the inability of technology to serve farmers nearby; his happiness when farmers acquired the technology; his grief at his extremely weakened body being unable to sustain future work; his fear of natural disasters, hunger, cold, illness, starvation, and snake bites; and his shock at the main human trials he faced, such as insults, harassment, robbery, and detention. The diary integrates political, ideological, literary, and legendary elements, serving as a mirror for poverty alleviation and reflecting the intertwined beauty and ugliness, good and evil in today's society, as well as the living conditions of both dominant and groups. It reflects the courage and thoughts of an intellectual in rescuing the underprivileged.