To Live (simplified Chinese: ; traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: Huzhe) is

a 1993 novel by Chinese novelist Yu Hua. It describes the struggles endured by the son of a wealthy
land-owner, Fugui, while historical events caused and extended by the Chinese Revolution are
fundamentally altering the nature of Chinese society. The contrast between his pre-revolutionary
status as a selfish fool who (literally) travels on the shoulders of the downtrodden and his postrevolutionary status as a persecuted peasant are stark.
To Live is one of the most representative work by Yu Hua. The story begins with the narrator
traveling through the countryside to collect folk songs and local legends and starting to hear a old
peasant talking about his experiences, which encompass many significant historical events in China
including the The Great Leap Forward, Three-anti and Five-anti Campaigns and Cultural Revolution.
Over the course of the story, the main character, Xu Fugui, witnesses the death of his family
members and loved ones.[1]
The book was originally published in the Shanghai literary journal Harvest.
Yu Hua wrote in his introduction that the novel was inspired by the American folk song "Old Black
Joe".[citation needed]