Red Guards (China)

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File:Little red book.jpg

Cover of the Little Red Book containing the doctrines of the Red Guards

In the People's Republic of China, Red Guards (Simplified Chinese: 红卫兵; Traditional Chinese: 紅衛兵; pinyin: Hóng Wèi Bīng) were a mass movement of civilians, mostly students and other young people, who were mobilized by Mao Zedong during the Cultural Revolution, between 1966 and 1976.

Origins

The first group of people to call themselves "Red Guards" in China were a group of students at the high school attached to Tsinghua University, led by Zhang Chengzhi (who would go on to become China's leading Muslim author); they used the name to sign two big-character posters issued on 29 May and 2 June 1966. According to Zhang, the group of students originally wrote the posters as a constructive criticism towards the university administration, which was accused of harboring "intellectual elitism" and "bourgeois." However, they were denounced as "counter-revolutionaries" and "radicals" by the school administration and fellow students, and were forced to secretly meet amongst the ruins of the Old Summer Palace. The group chose the name "The Red Guards" to create an image of a mass student movement. Soon afterwards, the news of the movements reached Mao Zedong and other top officials, which organized "work teams" across schools to investigate such accusations and replaced school administrations. Zhang's group soon put up more posters calling for radical revolution, which was approved by Mao and published on the People's Daily. Soon afterwards, students all over Beijing were calling themselves "Red Guards." The movement, however, was not confined nor directed by a central organization, and many rival Red Guard groups were formed.

Role in the Cultural Revolution

During the Cultural Revolution, the Red Guards traveled throughout China, going to schools, universities, and institutions, spreading the teachings of Mao. They had a darker side, however, as many were violent and oppressive to those who went against the teachings of Mao or criticized him.[1]

The role of Red Guard was mainly to attack the "Four Olds" of society, that is what is believed to be old ideas, cultures, manners, and customs of China at the time. Red Guards in Beijing and elsewhere in China had taken to the streets from their schools. They made posters, speeches, and committed violent and indiscriminate acts in the name of the Cultural Revolution.

Mao met a million Red Guards formally in Tiananmen Square on August 18, 1966. Many people in realms of education, academic, media, literature and punishment were attacked and labeled by the Red Guard as "capitalist roaders" or "anti-revolutionaries." The Red Guards ransacked museums and destroyed old books and works of art throughout China. Many famous temples, shrines, and other heritage sites were destroyed. In total, 4,922 out of 6,843 were destroyed.[2]. Zhang Chengzhi attempted to control the violence by writing petitions to senior party officials, but The People's Daily responded by publishing a phrase of Mao's; "Good, very Good", which originated from Mao's speech on peasant violence against landlords during the 1920's. Many disgraced former top party officials, such as Liu Shaoqi and Peng Dehuai were attacked by the Red Guards.

In popular culture

• In the film The Last Emperor, the Red Guard appeared near the end of the film humiliating the kind prison warden who treated the Emperor of China Puyi nicely.

• In the film To Live Directed by Zhang Yimou, the Red Guards appear in a few scenes, showing their various types of activity.

• In the film Farewell My Concubine, the Red Guards humiliate Cheng Dieyi and Duan Xiaolou as they try to overthrow the old society.

• In the film The Blue Kite, Tei Tou's classmates are shown wearing the red scarfs of the red guards, and the film ends with the red guards denouncing his step-father.

• Jung Chang's autobiography Wild Swans describes the alleged atrocities committed by the Red Guards.

• In Hong Kong, TVB and ATV often depicted the brutality of the Red Guards in films and television dramas. They are rarely portrayed in film and television programs produced in mainland China.

• The video game Command & Conquer: Generals misleadingly named the Chinese standard infantry unit the "Red Guard."

• The novel about the Cultural Revolution, Red Scarf Girl by Ji-Li Jiang, features prominently the Red Guards. The main character often wishes she could become one.

• The school of the Red Guard and the Red Guard students are the main idea for the Alberto V05 hair commercial.

• In the book Son of the Revolution, main character, Liang Heng, is a becomes a red guard at age 12, despite the years of persecution he and his family received from them.

• Li Cunxin often referred to the Red Guards in his autobiography - Mao's Last Dancer

See also

• Mao Zedong
• Morning Sun (documentary)

References

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Credits

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