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Opium, foot-binding, and braids: Photos reveal what China looked like before the Cultural Revolution
Opium, foot-binding, and braids: Photos reveal what China looked like before the Cultural Revolution
Natalie ColarossiMar 5, 2020, 02:40 IST
On October 1, 1949, Mao Zedong declared the foundation of The People's Republic of China, following a 20-year civil war.
In the decades that followed, China experienced an intense cultural and political revolution from 1966 to 1976 that transformed the country and left millions dead.
The "Cultural Revolution" resulted in the destruction of old customs, culture, habits, and ideas in order to make way for the spread of Zedong's brand of communism.
Beginning in 1966, a decade-long Cultural Revolution sought to eradicate old ideas and customs in order to make way for a new, revolutionary China.
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Radical youths known as Red Guards were encouraged to rid China's cities of "class enemies," eliminate western ties, and destroy outdated traditions. In a matter of decades, the country was transformed from an Imperialist nation to an atheist, communist society.
As the People's Republic of China attempted to erase their own history, religious texts were destroyed, places of worship shut down, and traditional garments demonized.
Old texts and art objects were vandalized in the streets, and Mao's "Little Red Book" became a staple in Chinese homes.
But what did China look like before this?
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From traditional braids to smoking opium, photos reveal a look into Chinese culture during the Qing Dynasty, and the rise of communism in 1949.
The dynasty was originally established by the Manchus, a group of people who mostly occupied Northeast China. Early into their rule, they made great efforts to preserve traditions of the past.
Manchu rulers supported Confucian politics and attitudes and undertook a strong period of collecting and preserving old ideas through art, music, clothing, and literature.
During the early half of the dynasty, the country experienced rapid growth, adopted Confucian methods of leadership, and created the largest production of Chinese history and language books.
Two major forms of art in the Qing dynasty included porcelain and painting. Artists were typically categorized into three groups: individualists, traditionalists, and professionals.
Of these three categories, the individualists focused on personal works and often made political art, while the traditionalists stuck to reinventing techniques of the past, and professionals served the Manchu court.
One of the dynasty's most notable contributions to music was the development of the Peking opera, which included many regional theater traditions, and often incorporated flute, lute, drums, and wind instruments.
Men during this period were ordered to wear their hair in traditional braids, known as a "queue." When the dynasty was overthrown in 1912, it was encouraged to cut off this hairstyle in an act of political revolution.
Traditional clothing for women throughout the Qing Dynasty consisted of long, high-collared robes, and the qipao dress, a garment that has evolved with modern Chinese style.
Head wear was also common during the Qing Dynasty, and court hats were largely distinguished by season. Winter hats were typically comprised of black skull caps with upturned rims, while summer hats were cone-shaped and had bamboo and silk woven within them.
Foot-binding became ubiquitous during the early Qing Dynasty, and any woman who wished to marry was subjected to the process of having her feet bent, broken, and wrapped in order to restrict movement and enhance beauty.
Smoking opium became outlawed by the Qing Dynasty following a series of opium wars between China and the Western world. Despite this ban, Chinese people regularly participated in the recreational use of the drug.
From 1850 to 1864, the Qing Dynasty was threatened by the Taiping Rebellion, a movement led by Hong Xiuquan, which killed 20 million people and cost the Qing rulers millions of dollars to end.
Following the Taiping Rebellion, the Qing Dynasty was ruled for roughly 40 years by Empress Dowager Cixi, who is credited with the early stages of modernizing China.
In 1898, Empress Cixi declared war on the west by siding with the Boxer Rebellion, a movement initiated by a secret Chinese society that strongly opposed foreign and Christian influence in China.
By 1900, thousands of Chinese Christians and foreign nationals were killed in the rebellion. But in 1901, foreign powers defeated the Imperial Army and Qing rule began to significantly weaken.
In 1912, military revolts overthrew the Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China was formed. Throughout the next three decades, nationalist and communists groups competed for power.
In 1966, Mao launched the "Cultural Revolution," a project to rid the country of "class enemies," western ties, and traditional values that ended with Mao's death 10 years later.
The revolution was largely based around class politics. Mao enlisted radical students, known as Red Guards, to target political enemies and wipe out the "four olds" — ideas, customs, cultures, and habits.
During this time, Mao's "Little Red Book" — a collection of over 200 quotations outlining the communist leader's ideology — became practically mandatory to own.
Daniel Leese, a professor of modern Chinese history and politics at the University of Freiburg, told BBC News that owning the book "became a way of surviving."
According to a New York Times report in 1971, the Cultural Revolution saw an end to traditional clothing, celebrations, art, religious practices, and literature.
Red Guards rampaged Beijing and other cities, destroying historical sites and cultural relics, and mass killing enemies of communism. Though the exact number is not clear, over one million are estimated to have died.
