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Alternative Genres, New Media and Counter Memories of the Chinese Cultural Revolution

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Northeast Asia’s Difficult Past

Part of the book series: Palgrave Macmillan Memory Studies ((PMMS))

Abstract

In the years following Mao’s death in 1976, an official master narrative of the Chinese Cultural Revolution crystallized. This narrative characterizes the Cultural Revolution as a “ten-year disaster” perpetuated by the “Gang of Four”, the allegedly “bad guys” in the highest echelons of the CCP. This was a victors’ version of history. Deng Xiaoping and other leaders in the new regime were purged in the Cultural Revolution. Emerging triumphant from it, they denounced the Cultural Revolution and blamed it on the Gang of Four.1 Alternative narratives were suppressed and the government instructed its people to move on and instead of fighting history wars, focus on economic development.

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Authors
  1. Guobin Yang
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Hiroshima City University—Hiroshima Peace Institute, Japan

    Mikyoung Kim

  2. University of Georgia, USA

    Barry Schwartz

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© 2010 Guobin Yang

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Yang, G. (2010). Alternative Genres, New Media and Counter Memories of the Chinese Cultural Revolution. In: Kim, M., Schwartz, B. (eds) Northeast Asia’s Difficult Past. Palgrave Macmillan Memory Studies. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230277427_6

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