{"id":2783,"date":"2014-08-26T19:07:44","date_gmt":"2014-08-26T19:07:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.chinesepen.org\/english\/?p=2783"},"modified":"2014-08-26T19:07:59","modified_gmt":"2014-08-26T19:07:59","slug":"tienchi-martin-liaolei-fengs-specter-still-hovers-over-mainland-china","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.chinesepen.org\/english\/tienchi-martin-liaolei-fengs-specter-still-hovers-over-mainland-china","title":{"rendered":"Tienchi Martin-Liao:Lei Feng\u2019s Specter Still Hovers Over Mainland China"},"content":{"rendered":"

April 10, 2013<\/span><\/p>\n

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Communist propaganda heroes and their political purpose, then and now.
\nVisiting the Exhibition of the Life of Lei Feng by Luo Jian-hua. Photo: Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library on Flickr.
\nThere are certain dates that people prefer to forget, but political circumstances force them to remember. March 5 is such a day. It is the death-day of Joseph Stalin, and although responsible for the calamity of millions of Russians, Stalin\u2019s admirers still laid flowers on his tomb at the Red Square during the 60th anniversary of his death. Among those present this year was the head of Russia\u2019s Communist Party, Gunnady Zyuganov. Experts prognosticate, as far as there is no de-Stalinization process occurring, nor reflection of modern history in Russia, that many Russians will not be able to get rid of their illusions and continue to believe Stalin was the savior of their country.
\nMarch 5 also has some special meaning for the mainland Chinese. Half a century ago, on this day Mao Zedong wrote the sentence \u201cFollow the example of comrade Lei Feng,\u201d to baptize young Liberation Army soldiers.<\/p>\n

Lei Feng (1940-1962) was an orphan from Hu\u2019nan Province, who joined the Army at the age of 20 and died in an accident at 22. According to the official lore, after Lei\u2019s death, people found his diary, which contained the passionate monologue of a youngster who had done many selfless, good deeds. But most importantly, the texts exposed his unconditional love and loyalty to the Communist Party of China and Chairman Mao.<\/p>\n

The discovery of the diary coincided with a time when Mao\u2019s authority was suffering enormously under the policies of the Big Leap Forward. After three years of famine that resulted in millions of deaths, Mao\u2019s image and morals were severely damaged. The country slowly revived from the catastrophe only through Liu Shaoqi\u2019s mild adjustment policy. Consequently, it was the proper moment to set up a legendary figure to divert the people\u2019s attention. Right at this time Lei Feng and his diary emerged out of thin air and fit the pattern that the government sought\u2014an orphan from Mao\u2019s home province, a diligent worker, patriotic soldier, and obedient Maoist pupil. Feng\u2019s legacy served as a perfect model for his compatriots to emulate. Thus, the propaganda machinery was turned on full-power to create a new revolutionary hero. Indeed, within a short time, Lei Feng became a posthumous national icon.<\/p>\n

Despite his iconic status, there are several disputes about the credibility of Lei Feng\u2019s existence, especially concerning his diary. Some believe General Lin Biao was working behind the scenes to re-establish Mao\u2019s scraped image.<\/p>\n

In their book, Sozialistische Helden: Eine Kulturgeschichte der Propagandafiguren (Socialist Heroes: A Cultural History of Propaganda Figures), historians Silke Satjukow and Rainer Gries explain that whether or not the stories about the heroes are true is besides the point. Heroic figures like Lei Feng were instruments of propaganda and served a political purpose.
\nFor detail please visit here<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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