The Sun Shines over the Sanggan River

work by Ding Ling

Also known as: “Taiyang zhao zai Sangganhe shang”

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July 14, 2026

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The Sun Shines over the Sanggan River is a novel by Ding Ling, a prominent 20th-century Chinese author. Published in 1948, it was the first Chinese novel to receive the Soviet Union's Stalin Prize in 1951. The novel is a work of Socialist Realism, depicting land reform in China. Ding Ling's writing shifted towards proletarian themes after joining the Communist Party, focusing on the lives of workers, peasants, and revolutionaries. Despite its critical acclaim, Ding Ling faced political censure for her criticisms of the party, particularly regarding women's rights.12

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Ding Ling
…zhao zai Sangganhe shang (1948; The Sun Shines over the Sanggan River) was the first Chinese novel to win the Soviet Union’s Stalin Prize (1951). Yet despite her triumphs, she remained in political trouble for her open criticisms of the party, especially in regard to women’s rights. She was officially…
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…zhao zai Sangganhe shang (1948; The Sun Shines over the Sanggan River) was the first Chinese novel to win the Soviet Union’s Stalin Prize (1951). Yet despite her triumphs, she remained in political trouble for her open criticisms of the party, especially in regard to women’s rights. She was officially…
Read More

Chinese literature
1949–76
…zhao zai Sangganhe shang (1949; The Sun Shines over the Sanggan River) and Baofeng zhouyu (1949; The Hurricane) by Zhou Libo, became quite popular. Few of the established May Fourth writers continued to produce fiction after 1949, for their experience as social critics did not prepare them for Socialist Realism,…
Read More
…zhao zai Sangganhe shang (1949; The Sun Shines over the Sanggan River) and Baofeng zhouyu (1949; The Hurricane) by Zhou Libo, became quite popular. Few of the established May Fourth writers continued to produce fiction after 1949, for their experience as social critics did not prepare them for Socialist Realism,…
Read More