China issued a lot of propaganda posters praising Chairman Mao Zedong during the Cultural Revolution. This poster reads, "Long live Chairman Mao, the red sun in the hearts of the universal revolution's people!"
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Monday marks the 50th anniversary of the de facto beginning of China's Cultural Revolution, a 10-year social movement in which the communist country plunged into turmoil and internal strife.
Under the central leadership's encouragement, students revolted against teachers and peasants rose up against local leaders. Young supporters around the country formed paramilitary groups, called the Red Guards, and attempted to destroy remnants of the country's traditional heritage by smashing up cultural relics and persecuting "counter-revolutionaries" such as intellectuals and politicians.
Over 1.7 million people died as a result of the Cultural Revolution, according to the country's official figures.
This poster of Mao includes the words, "The journey in the sea depends on the helmsman: To resist imperialist aggressions we must establish a mighty navy."
Corbis Historical/Getty Images
The country is not proud of this part of its history. In 1981, five years after Mao's death, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China adopted a resolution dubbing the revolution a "catastrophe" that brought about "grave disorder, damage and retrogression" to the country.
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On Monday, China remained virtually silent on discussions of the event.
The government did not hold any official events to commemorate the anniversary. Not a single state-run media outlet ran major stories on the topic. Screenshots of China's largest newspapers had other news items, like the South China Sea disputes, gracing the front pages instead.
Discussion of the Cultural Revolution did not appear to be censored on social media, a practice the country has carried out with sensitive topics in the past, although comments about the event on popular microblogging platform Weibo seemed to be kept to a minimum.
But these vintage posters, issued during the Cultural Revolution, show a time in China's past when the state saw the movement and its aims much differently. In many state-issued posters, peasants and soldiers are glorified as the nation's heroes to encourage industrial production and conscription into the army. Many characters are also depicted holding a Little Red Book filled with Mao's quotes.
Take a look at some of these posters below:
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"Chinese people have ambition," the caption reads.
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In this woodcut, titled "Industrial Might," one of the two workers is raising the Little Red Book that contains Mao Zedong's quotes. Many people carried the Little Red Book around to avoid punishment.
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This poster shows peasants and workers cheering, with the caption, "Enthusiastically celebrating the successful opening of the Chinese trade union's ninth national congress."
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A peasant and a People's Liberation Army officer feature in this poster, named "Return to the People's Liberation Army, raise the four movements to higher levels."
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A propaganda poster depicts Mao walking with peasants in the countryside. During the Cultural Revolution, Mao encouraged educated youths to go to rural areas to be "re-educated" by peasants.
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A poster, captioned "Greet The '70s With New Victories Of Revolution And Production," captures Chinese workers holding their tools in one hand and Little Red Books in the other.
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A man is holding the Little Red Book in this woodcut titled "Shout the Words of Mao."
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This woodcut, titled "Travel with the Words of Mao," shows a band of travelers equipped with the Little Red Book and a document titled "Mao's Latest Directives."
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This woodcut is titled "Words of Mao Like the Power of the Sun."
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Peasants and soldiers are featured in this woodcut, named "So Say Mao."
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Peasants and troops carry Little Red Books and a red flag with the words, "Hold the great banner of unity and achieve even greater success," printed on it. The woodcut is titled "All People Follow the Words of Mao."
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A poster, titled "Mao's Words Bring Joy," features peasants holding a sign reading "Mao's Quotations: Capture revolutionaries, promote production, promote work, promote strategy."
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