Red Flower of China

Rating:
Summary: "The Revolutionary People of the World Expect Us!"
Review: Whenever I read an account of the Cultural Revolution I am amazed at the social chaos and the violence carried out by its participants. These activists consisted of youths, their ages ranging from junior middle school to college level. They formed a group that is essential in any attempt at understanding the events of this tumultuous period in modern Chinese history.

Similar to other accounts of this period; "The Son of the Revolution", "Wild Swans", "The Man Who Stayed Behind", etc..., "Red Flower of China" attempts to explain how society in China during the late 1960's was turned upside down and shows how the Cultural Revolution left no one untouched by the string of terror carried out by over-exuberant youths who felt compelled to act on orders from a national leader whom they believed to be god-like. Armed with Mao Zedong thought, these youths, called the Red Guards, played a central role in the loss of humanity in China during this period.

The author, Zhai Zhenhua, was herself a Red Guard. In the book she reveals a level of violence not usually displayed in other works on the Cultural Revolution. When the Cultural Revolution began in June of 1966, she was 15 years old. She tells of the chaos of that time around Beijing and her involvement in the search for counter-revolutionaries.

The first serious act of violence that Zhenhua participated in was just the beginning of her involement in what the Red Guards called moral justice. "Towards the end of August 1966 beating people became a popular Red Guard tactic in Beijing. When I saw a Red Guard remove her canvas belt to beat her victim and saw his clothes tear and blood appear on his skin, I was afraid. However I was a Red Guard leader and a member of my school's Revolutionary Committee. In this Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution not only had I not been among those who led, I always seemed to fall behind. I felt unworthy. If by beating these people from the five categories (landlords, upper-class peasants, counter-revolutionaries, bad elements, and rightists) I could prove my political consciousness and my valour in the class struggle, I would do it. Thus, when that Red Guard left off, I removed my belt and learned to beat like her" (Zhai, p.96)
Zhenhua goes on to say that her heart hardened and she became use to the blood. Her rationale at the time of the beatings was that they were the bad elements of society and deserved to be beaten. "I shouldn't feel sorry for them. In class struggle, either you die or I do" (Zhai, p.96).

One of the victims that she beat did die. It was the only raid that she was put in charge of. The victim was a middle-aged lady, who had been a landlord before the "Liberation". During the house raid the woman would not answer any of the Red Guard's questions. Zhenhua thought that the woman was arrogant and ordered her soldiers to beat her. When they left the house the woman was covered in blood and was not moving. The next morning Zhenhua found out that the woman was dead (Zhai, p.97).

This type of violence increased during the month of September. According to Zhenhua, "from September 1-27, in the thirteen communes of Daxing County, 325 such 'criminals' and their relatives were killed. The oldest was eighty and the youngest thirty-eight days. Twenty-two families were entirely exterminated" (Zhai, p.96).

To explain the violent actions of the Red Guards, perhaps one must look at their education. These youths were the first generation born into Chinese communist society. Throughout their young lives revolutionary education was constant. Novels, poems, and songs about young communist revolutionary heroes were required study. These youths were taught to be ashamed of the humiliation of recent Chinese history, and also to be "progressive", which was a term the Chinese communist used to characterize someone conscientious and revolutionary.

The following is a children's song that was often played on the radio and contributed to revolutionary education. The names mentioned are revolutionary martyrs:

Be prepared, be constantly prepared,
To be the successor of the revolution.
Be prepared, be prepared, be constantly prepared,
To fight for Communism.
The revolutionary torch lights our path forward.
We revolutionary youth
Kindle our revolutionary spirit from childhood.

Be as brave as Huang Jiguang,
Be as loyal as Liu Hulan,
Be as strong as Liu Wenxue,
Be like Lei Feng to serve the people heart and soul.

To love study and manual labour is our duty.
To love our country and the people is our responsiblity.
March forward, young companions.
March forward, successors of the revolution.
The motherland's ten thousand li await us.
The revolutionary people of the world expect us.
March forward, successors of the revolution.
The motherland's ten thousand li await us.
The revolutionary people of the world expect us.

(Zhai, p.52)