17 Years Later, 'Big River, Big Sea' Gets a Simplified Chinese Edition, A Detour to Face the 'Main Battlefield'
Seventeen years after its initial release, author Lung Ying-tai's 'Big River, Big Sea: Untold Stories of 1949' now has a Simplified Chinese version, though the book remains banned in mainland China. A Tokyo-based publisher has released it for overseas Chinese readers, a notable move to confront history.
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- 📰 Published: April 13, 2026 at 12:36
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Central News Agency
(CNA reporter Chang Shu-ling, Taipei, 13th) Seventeen years later, author Lung Ying-tai's 'Big River, Big Sea: Untold Stories of 1949' has a Simplified Chinese edition, although the book remains banned in mainland China. Regarding the significance of the new edition, Lung Ying-tai points out in the preface: 'The land of Simplified Chinese today is the main battlefield of that bygone era of widespread devastation.'
'Big River, Big Sea: Untold Stories of 1949' (hereafter 'Big River, Big Sea') was first published in 2009, on the 60th anniversary of the Kuomintang government's retreat to Taiwan and the founding of the People's Republic of China. The book uses a literary style to write the stories of ordinary people displaced during the Chinese Civil War. The author wanted to 'pay tribute to all those who were trampled, insulted, and harmed by the times,' and also hoped to prevent history from repeating itself.
Due to its historical perspective, the book was banned in mainland China from the start, but some Traditional Chinese editions were smuggled into the country.
Chinese publisher Chang Shih-chih read the book more than a decade ago and was shocked. He told CNA that in his education, the process of the founding of 'New China' in 1949 was always portrayed as the Communist army 'defeating the Kuomintang reactionaries' with unstoppable force, a great and glorious event. But Lung Ying-tai looked at this period of history from the perspective of the 'losers' and reflected on the cruelty of war. For many mainland readers, this was a completely new angle of understanding.
In recent years, Chang Shih-chih moved from Beijing to Japan and founded the publishing house Dudao Press in Tokyo, dedicated to preserving valuable content in Simplified Chinese. Although 'overseas-published Simplified Chinese books' may not enter the Chinese market, they have the advantage of freedom of content. As more and more Chinese people move abroad, they are gradually gaining a foothold.
In January 2024, Chang had the opportunity to meet Lung Ying-tai and expressed his wish to publish 'Big River, Big Sea.' 'I know this is the book she put the most effort into,' Chang said, hoping that mainland readers who had not read the book would have the option of a Simplified Chinese version. But what made Lung Ying-tai agree to give him the copyright?
Lung Ying-tai once said she especially hoped that mainland Chinese readers could see this book. Since publishing it in the mainland is impossible, publishing a Simplified Chinese version overseas to reach Simplified Chinese readers is another way. Chang believes this should be the reason that moved Lung.
The Simplified edition adds a new preface of about 4,000 words. Lung Ying-tai describes 'Big River, Big Sea' as a 'literary offering of incense' for millions of departed souls. She says in the preface: 'The 2026 Simplified Chinese publication—the land of Simplified Chinese today is the main battlefield of that bygone era of widespread devastation—although it can only be overseas, it is still a wisp of green smoke, and the spirits should know.'
As a second-generation mainlander who came to Taiwan, Lung Ying-tai is a strong advocate for peace, and 'Big River, Big Sea' includes her own parents' stories. However, from her op-eds in The New York Times in 2023 and 2025 ('Beijing Is Already Cracking Down on Taiwan Without Firing a Shot' and 'The Only Way for Taiwan to Maintain Peace and Freedom Is to Reconcile with China') to her new book sharing event at Monsoon Bookstore in Washington D.C. in April this year, her 'peace theory' has sparked controversy and attacks from some.
At the same time, Chinese independent media personality Tsai Ching's dialogue with Lung Ying-tai on YouTube, discussing the Chinese Civil War, has accumulated 1.26 million views and over 8,000 comments in five months, the vast majority from mainland readers expressing their aversion to war and empathy for Lung.
Lung Ying-tai's articles and remarks receive different evaluations between the two sides of the strait, and between internet celebrities and ordinary readers.
Chang Shih-chih believes that while some criticisms are valid, one should not overlook that 'Big River, Big Sea' is a mother talking to her 19-year-old son who has received his draft notice, about the state apparatus and war. As a father of a middle schooler himself, he also faces how to discuss national and historical views with his child, so he particularly resonates with Lung's sincere writing style that starts from the individual.
On the 18th of this month, Lung Ying-tai will give a lecture at the University of Tokyo on the theme 'When War Doesn't End - 80 Years After 'Big River, Big Sea''. Dudao Press has booked a venue that can accommodate 600 people. Judging from the enthusiastic registration, Chang said this will be the largest humanities and intellectual event for Chinese people in Tokyo in three or four years.
After Lung Ying-tai's peace theory sparked different views, some critics saw it as weakness or bowing to the CCP regime, a view Chang disagrees with.
Lung Ying-tai's published articles have always shown a certain tension with the CCP authorities. In 2006, she wrote an open letter to then-CCP General Secretary Hu Jintao, 'Please Persuade Me with Civilization,' discussing freedom of speech in light of the 'Bing Dian' weekly supplement suspension.
In September 2019, she published a long post on social media, describing the young people of Hong Kong as 'eggs' and the authorities as 'an iron wall,' calling on China to treat Hong Kong gently. As a result, she was singled out for criticism by the official People's Daily. After that, China's major online booksellers JD.com and Dangdang.com began to remove Lung's works.
Lung Ying-tai was once a best-selling author in mainland China. In the 10th writer's rich list promoted by several media outlets in 2016, Lung was the highest-ranking Taiwanese author at 15th, with her representative work 'Watching You Go,' earning royalties of RMB 8.7 million (about NT$43.5 million at the time).
Chang said that many people, after weighing the pros and cons, might remain silent on many issues, afraid of losing existing interests. But in his view, authors Yan Geling and Lung Ying-tai are both writers who choose to speak out on social issues, knowing they have to pay a price. (Editor: Chen Kai-yu) 1150413
(CNA reporter Chang Shu-ling, Taipei, 13th) Seventeen years later, author Lung Ying-tai's 'Big River, Big Sea: Untold Stories of 1949' has a Simplified Chinese edition, although the book remains banned in mainland China. Regarding the significance of the new edition, Lung Ying-tai points out in the preface: 'The land of Simplified Chinese today is the main battlefield of that bygone era of widespread devastation.'
'Big River, Big Sea: Untold Stories of 1949' (hereafter 'Big River, Big Sea') was first published in 2009, on the 60th anniversary of the Kuomintang government's retreat to Taiwan and the founding of the People's Republic of China. The book uses a literary style to write the stories of ordinary people displaced during the Chinese Civil War. The author wanted to 'pay tribute to all those who were trampled, insulted, and harmed by the times,' and also hoped to prevent history from repeating itself.
Due to its historical perspective, the book was banned in mainland China from the start, but some Traditional Chinese editions were smuggled into the country.
Chinese publisher Chang Shih-chih read the book more than a decade ago and was shocked. He told CNA that in his education, the process of the founding of 'New China' in 1949 was always portrayed as the Communist army 'defeating the Kuomintang reactionaries' with unstoppable force, a great and glorious event. But Lung Ying-tai looked at this period of history from the perspective of the 'losers' and reflected on the cruelty of war. For many mainland readers, this was a completely new angle of understanding.
In recent years, Chang Shih-chih moved from Beijing to Japan and founded the publishing house Dudao Press in Tokyo, dedicated to preserving valuable content in Simplified Chinese. Although 'overseas-published Simplified Chinese books' may not enter the Chinese market, they have the advantage of freedom of content. As more and more Chinese people move abroad, they are gradually gaining a foothold.
In January 2024, Chang had the opportunity to meet Lung Ying-tai and expressed his wish to publish 'Big River, Big Sea.' 'I know this is the book she put the most effort into,' Chang said, hoping that mainland readers who had not read the book would have the option of a Simplified Chinese version. But what made Lung Ying-tai agree to give him the copyright?
Lung Ying-tai once said she especially hoped that mainland Chinese readers could see this book. Since publishing it in the mainland is impossible, publishing a Simplified Chinese version overseas to reach Simplified Chinese readers is another way. Chang believes this should be the reason that moved Lung.
The Simplified edition adds a new preface of about 4,000 words. Lung Ying-tai describes 'Big River, Big Sea' as a 'literary offering of incense' for millions of departed souls. She says in the preface: 'The 2026 Simplified Chinese publication—the land of Simplified Chinese today is the main battlefield of that bygone era of widespread devastation—although it can only be overseas, it is still a wisp of green smoke, and the spirits should know.'
As a second-generation mainlander who came to Taiwan, Lung Ying-tai is a strong advocate for peace, and 'Big River, Big Sea' includes her own parents' stories. However, from her op-eds in The New York Times in 2023 and 2025 ('Beijing Is Already Cracking Down on Taiwan Without Firing a Shot' and 'The Only Way for Taiwan to Maintain Peace and Freedom Is to Reconcile with China') to her new book sharing event at Monsoon Bookstore in Washington D.C. in April this year, her 'peace theory' has sparked controversy and attacks from some.
At the same time, Chinese independent media personality Tsai Ching's dialogue with Lung Ying-tai on YouTube, discussing the Chinese Civil War, has accumulated 1.26 million views and over 8,000 comments in five months, the vast majority from mainland readers expressing their aversion to war and empathy for Lung.
Lung Ying-tai's articles and remarks receive different evaluations between the two sides of the strait, and between internet celebrities and ordinary readers.
Chang Shih-chih believes that while some criticisms are valid, one should not overlook that 'Big River, Big Sea' is a mother talking to her 19-year-old son who has received his draft notice, about the state apparatus and war. As a father of a middle schooler himself, he also faces how to discuss national and historical views with his child, so he particularly resonates with Lung's sincere writing style that starts from the individual.
On the 18th of this month, Lung Ying-tai will give a lecture at the University of Tokyo on the theme 'When War Doesn't End - 80 Years After 'Big River, Big Sea''. Dudao Press has booked a venue that can accommodate 600 people. Judging from the enthusiastic registration, Chang said this will be the largest humanities and intellectual event for Chinese people in Tokyo in three or four years.
After Lung Ying-tai's peace theory sparked different views, some critics saw it as weakness or bowing to the CCP regime, a view Chang disagrees with.
Lung Ying-tai's published articles have always shown a certain tension with the CCP authorities. In 2006, she wrote an open letter to then-CCP General Secretary Hu Jintao, 'Please Persuade Me with Civilization,' discussing freedom of speech in light of the 'Bing Dian' weekly supplement suspension.
In September 2019, she published a long post on social media, describing the young people of Hong Kong as 'eggs' and the authorities as 'an iron wall,' calling on China to treat Hong Kong gently. As a result, she was singled out for criticism by the official People's Daily. After that, China's major online booksellers JD.com and Dangdang.com began to remove Lung's works.
Lung Ying-tai was once a best-selling author in mainland China. In the 10th writer's rich list promoted by several media outlets in 2016, Lung was the highest-ranking Taiwanese author at 15th, with her representative work 'Watching You Go,' earning royalties of RMB 8.7 million (about NT$43.5 million at the time).
Chang said that many people, after weighing the pros and cons, might remain silent on many issues, afraid of losing existing interests. But in his view, authors Yan Geling and Lung Ying-tai are both writers who choose to speak out on social issues, knowing they have to pay a price. (Editor: Chen Kai-yu) 1150413