What It Was Like During Communist China’s Cultural Revolution

The author’s mother and grandfather pose in front of The Great Wall of China during the last year of the Cultural Revolution, 1976. Photo: Hong Zhi Wen

By SILVIA FENG

In the rich culture of my Chinese ancestry, I’d often hear stories about my grandparents’ childhood. Whether it’d be the amusing stories from my mother’s parents, or the nostalgic narratives from my father’s parents, it was a tradition in my family to tell stories about their past.

In the crisp air of a March day in 1952, my grandmother’s world transformed. In hopes of finding a new life, she immigrated to China from Singapore alongside her classmates, all with the same goal: to find an opportunity. Their eyes were filled with hopes and desires as they entered a new and foreign chapter of their life.

My grandmother, Hong Zhi Wen, had always dreamed of becoming a teacher. She furthered her education to become an English professor at the local Nanjing College.

“I don’t remember approximately when I started teaching, but it was around the 1960s,” Hong said. “This was around the start of the Cultural Revolution. Mao was already leading the country.”

The Cultural Revolution was led by dictator Mao Zedong, who served as the chairman of China from 1949 until his death in 1976. The Revolution lasted an interminable decade from 1966 until Mao’s death. Full of political and societal chaos, it caused the disruption of millions of lives.

The main goal of the Cultural Revolution was to reassert Mao’s control over the Chinese Communist Party. He was dedicated to eliminating any trace of capitalist influences within society.

During that era, every individual had to carry “The Little Red Book.” Officially known as Quotations from Chairman Mao Tse-Tung, the book served a huge purpose during the Revolution in highlighting Mao’s communist beliefs. His aim was to make the book accessible to everyone. It was printed onto a small volume for semi-literate peasants or soldiers to read. Oftentimes, citizens memorized the contents of the book or even made music related to it.

“The Little Red Book” highlights the effect of mainstream propaganda. Not only was it used to promote ideological uniformity, it was also used as a weapon against “class enemies.” Citizens were required to read the book every day, once in the morning and once at night.

“I still remember seeing my students participating in the riots [against ‘class enemies’ and dissidents],” Hong said. “We were required to teach the contents of ‘The Little Red Book’ to our students. I thought to myself, ‘This is absolutely wrong and it’s brainwashing the kids!’”

“Then, from 1968 to 1972, many intellectuals were mandated to work in physical labor in the countryside. I was sent to work for four years on the rural side of Nanjing,” she said.

It wasn’t uncommon for intellectuals to perform physical labor in rural China. Many teachers and writers were subjected to work in farmlands. The main idea was to break down social hierarchies and class distinctions.

And just like that, the Cultural Revolution made a powerful impact across China, including the villages of Guangzhou, where my father’s side of the family had resided for generations.

Many families during this time experienced a drastic decline in their living standards. Private property was often confiscated by the government.

My grandmother, Situ YinYi, was a middle class citizen. “Even in the villages, you were required to share bathrooms and kitchens,” Situ said. “It was uncommon for people to own property. Everything was shared among us. Many single [unmarried] individuals were required to share dormitory rooms.”

The Cultural Revolution was mainly led by the Red Guards, a student-led group that forced the principles of communism on others. Students left schools to protest for Mao, often causing major disturbances. The Red Guards destroyed many of the country’s “Four Olds”; these included old customs, old culture, old habits, and old ideas. Students destroyed traditional art and literature and invaded homes. My father, Hope Feng, was just five years old during the time of the Revolution.

“I personally never saw any of the riots occurring since I was in the villages, but I heard many stories about them happening in the city,” Feng said. “But we had to wear a badge of Mao at all times, to show our loyalty and support for him. When we had to wash our shirts, we’d just take the badge off and put it on fresh clothes.”

My grandmother Hong started a family and continued living in Nanjing until 1986, when she moved to the city of Guangzhou. “I remained as a college professor in Guangzhou until 1998, when I officially retired,” she said. “And I’ve lived in Guangzhou ever since.”

On my father’s side, my grandmother Situ immigrated to New York City in November of 1992. It was a result of chain migration, where she followed the migration footsteps of family members.

“It was my brother who convinced me to come to America. He lived in Chinatown while I was in Sunset Park,” Situ said. “He mentioned the opportunities we would have here, and how we would live a better life.”