Four Olds
The Four Olds or the Four Old Things (simplified Chinese: 四旧; traditional Chinese: 四舊; pinyin: sì jiù) were Old Customs, Old Culture, Old Habits, and Old Ideas. One of the stated goals of the Cultural Revolution in the People's Republic of China was to bring an end to the Four Olds.[1] The campaign to destroy the Four Olds began in Beijing on August 20, 1966, shortly after the launch of the Cultural Revolution.[2]
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[edit] Campaign
[edit] Destruction of Chinese cultures and traditional values
Mao Zedong called for the Four Olds to be swept away at the very early stages of the Cultural Revolution in 1966,[2] and Red Guards took up the task with alacrity. As a result, examples of Chinese architecture were destroyed, classical literature and Chinese paintings were torn apart, and cultural and religious customs were vilified as manifestations of feudalism. Many families' long kept genealogy books were burned to ashes. During that time, many ancient Chinese cultural artifacts were destroyed forever. People in possession of these goods were punished. Intellectuals were targeted as personifications of the Four Olds, and sometimes they were mocked, harassed, imprisoned, tortured, or killed.[3]
Upon learning that Red Guards were approaching the Forbidden City, Premier Zhou Enlai ordered the gates shut and troops posted, knowing of the Red Guard's reputation for destroying cultural objects.
[edit] Popular slogans
- “breaking down the four olds, setting up the four news (old versions of other four concepts)”
- “beating down the bad elements”
- “beating down imperialism”
- “beating down foreign religion”
- “beating down Jesus following”
- “beating down the counter revolutionists”
[edit] Communist Party response
No official statistics have ever been produced by the Communist party in terms of reporting the actual cost of damage. By 1978, many stories of death and destruction caused by the Cultural Revolution had leaked out of China and became known worldwide.[4]
[edit] Restoration
Starting in the 1990s and continuing into the 21st century, there has been a massive rebuilding effort underway to restore and rebuild cultural sites that were destroyed or damaged during the Cultural Revolution. This has coincided with a resurgence in interest in, and demand for, Chinese cultural artifacts. Some have exploited this increased demand, producing counterfeit artifacts.
[edit] See also
- Burning of books and burying of scholars
- Desinicization
- List of campaigns of the Communist Party of China
[edit] References
- ^ Spence, Jonathan. The Search for Modern China. 2nd ed. New York: W.W. Norton & Co., 1999. p575
- ^ a b Law, Kam-yee. [2003] (2003). The Chinese Cultural Revolution Reconsidered: beyond purge and Holocaust. ISBN 0333738357
- ^ Wen, Chihua. Madsen, Richard P. [1995] (1995). The Red Mirror: Children of China's Cultural Revolution. Westview Press. ISBN 0813324882
- ^ Roberts, Richard H. [1995] (1995). Religion and the Transformations of Capitalism. Routledge publishing. ISBN 0415119170
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