To understand contemporary China, one must understand the nation's cultural origins and how its agriculture and rural areas have served as sources of the country's history. Taking a broad view, this book systematically explains China's agriculture, rural areas and farmers by going deep into history, ranging from agricultural civilization, through systems and thinking patterns of ancient China, to a vigorous analysis of the development path of agriculture and rural areas since the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, and from historic change in rural areas after China's reform and opening up to the establishment of a policy system to strengthen, benefit, and enrich agriculture in the new era. This book on the history of China's development in agriculture and rural areas helps explain the evolution of Chinese culture as well as document the struggles of the Chinese people.