The author of this article: Hu Xinmin, originally published in the "Party History Wenhui" magazine no. 6 in 2021, authorized the original release of this number.
Attaching great importance to propaganda work is the fine tradition of the Communist Party of China. During the Yan'an period, Chairman Mao and other CPC central leaders warmly invited and received Chinese and foreign personalities who came to visit, gave realistic briefings on the situation, and asked them to bring what they saw and heard to the Kuomintang areas and even abroad; they also spread the party's voice through running radio broadcasts and newspapers and periodicals. A special feature of foreign propaganda during this period was the combination of intellectuals and the broad masses, which gave birth to a number of literary and artistic works that the masses liked to hear. Fairbank, a famous American sinologist, spoke highly of the "YangGe" that was widely popular in the base areas. He believes that this new form of combining chorus with dance that has been popular in the countryside for a long time can make the masses fully express their feelings of liberation, publicize the Chinese revolution, and not only inspire the fighting spirit of the military and the people in the base areas, but also enable the visiting Chinese and foreign audiences to understand the justice of the Chinese revolution. In 1942, after Chairman Mao published his "Speech at the Yan'an Literary and Art Forum", a large number of red literary works emerged. In contrast to this, literary and artistic work teams with "yang song" as the prototype and songs and dances as the main characteristics have continued to appear, becoming a new force for spreading red literature and art. This article recounts three fragments from the eve of the founding of New China in 1949 to 1972, when Chinese red literature and art went abroad to influence the world.
Launched on the international stage by Budapest
Budapest, Hungary, 1949, Commemorative Stamp of the 2nd World Youth Festival: Youth of Different Races
History entered 1949, and the dawn of victory for the Chinese Revolution was at hand. Just as the World League of Democratic Youth (WYWCA) was preparing to hold the second World Youth Festival in Budapest, Hungary, in August of that year, they sent an invitation to the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, hoping that China would send a delegation to participate. The Central Committee of the Communist Party of China has decided to seize this excellent propaganda opportunity and organize a delegation of Chinese democratic youth in order to introduce and publicize to the world the new China that is about to be born. Xiao Hua, political commissar of the 13th Corps of the Fourth Field Army, was elected as a member of the International Youth Federation, so he was appointed as the head of the delegation and led the Chinese democratic youth delegation to participate in the World Youth Festival.
The leaders of the CPC Central Committee attach great importance to this trip. Chairman Mao said to Xiao Hua: "At present, the outside world knows very little about the Chinese revolution, and the Kuomintang propaganda machine has said a lot of bad things about us, portraying us as a demon with green faces and fangs. You go out to let the world see what the Chinese Communists really look like. Therefore, your trip to Eastern Europe is not light. Zhou Enlai also said: "On the eve of the final victory of the Chinese people in their struggle against the Kuomintang reactionaries, your visit abroad is of great significance. This is the first large-scale friendly mission we have sent so far. ”
In July 1949, about 70 leaders and backbone members from the cultural and labor troupes in the Liberated Areas quickly formed the Chinese Youth Cultural and Labor Troupe, preparing to accompany the Chinese Democratic Youth Delegation led by Xiao Hua to Budapest to participate in the activities.
Due to the tight time, after less than 20 days of rehearsal and review, they determined a group of programs that reflected the struggle life of the Chinese people and had strong national characteristics, including the opera "Niu Yonggui Injured" and "Twelve Sickles", the solo dance "Wrangler Dance" (performer Jia Zuoguang), the double dance "Hope" (performers Schenta Riha and Wuyun), the folk music ensemble "Let Go of Donkeys" (performers Wang Tie Hammer and Wang Xiaoshou), the collective dance "Big Yang Song", "Victory Waist Drum", and the solo and chorus of Li Bo, Wang Kun and Guo Lanying. All programs are accompanied by Chinese national instruments.
After the delegation was formed, Chairman Mao and Comrades Zhou Enlai received several responsible persons of the delegation. Chairman Mao said that the liberation of the whole country is not far away, and you must go out to publicize the great victory of the Chinese revolution, strengthen your friendship with the young people of all countries, and learn from them. Comrade Zhou Enlai said: "This is going out in the situation of the victory of our revolution and will certainly be welcomed. During this period, relevant leaders Lu Dingyi, Zhou Yang, and Feng Wenbin made special reports for the delegation. Feng Wenbin, secretary of the CYL Central Committee, summarized the mission abroad as follows: publicizing oneself; learning from others; establishing contacts; and exchanging experiences.
After a long journey to Budapest, the Chinese delegation was warmly welcomed by Hungarian youth.
At 4 p.m. on August 14, the second World Youth Festival was grandly opened, and Hungarian leaders such as Rákosi attended the conference. Nearly 10,000 young people from 81 countries and regions dressed in colorful national costumes entered in turn amid the majestic music. When the Chinese Democratic Youth Delegation held aloft the huge embroidered statues of Chairman Mao and Commander-in-Chief Zhu escorted by 20 red flags, the audience resounded with thunderous applause.
On the evening of the 15th, China's small programs for the first time on the modern stage, the venue was full of young people from all over the world, and they gave warm applause to each program. After the performance, the French deputy said to the Chinese deputy: "I can't understand a word of your program, but I can understand it" "We have seen the labor and production of the Chinese people, the struggle life of the Chinese people, and the heroic PLA and military-civilian relations, which have given us a great education." One director said excitedly: "Your performances, dances and music are very good, a wonderful combination of life and art." ”
The activities of the Youth Literary and Labor Corps are very tightly arranged, which can be described as overwhelming. Not only do they perform in the city, but they are also invited to perform in the countryside. In the 12 days before the closing ceremony, the troupe performed a total of 18 performances, with an audience of about 430,000 people, and the local government wanted to continue to retain them to perform for another week, but because the return date had already been arranged, it could only be politely declined.
The festival has three kinds of awards for performance projects: "Literary Award", "Silver Cup Award" and "Special Award". Li Bo's solo "Turning Over" and Guo Lanying's solo "Women's Freedom Song" won the second and third prizes of the Literary and Art Award respectively, and the collective dance "Victory Waist Drum" won the special award. On September 1, the Chinese Democratic Youth Delegation successfully completed its mission and left Budapest, and the inside and outside of the station were crowded with farewell crowds, hugging, kissing and tearfully saying goodbye. Zhou Weizhi, deputy head of the Youth Cultural and Labor Corps, later recalled that after watching our big song and encouraging us, the US delegation said that from that mental state, it saw the arrogance of the Chinese people in victory.
"Ulan Pastoral" shines in France
Wulan Muqi has been received by party and state leaders many times
In February 1956, Chu Tunan, president of the Chinese Association for Foreign Cultures, said at the second plenary session of the First National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference that the visit of Chinese literary and art groups to Western European countries "has a tremendous and far-reaching impact." Since then, Chinese literary and art groups have continued to visit and perform abroad, so that many foreign audiences have a correct understanding of the People's Republic of China. Among them, the performance of "Ulan Muqi" in France can be called the most red Chinese characteristics, and it is also the most influential.
As early as July 7, 1954, Chairman Mao pointed out: "In order to protect construction and industrialization, it is impossible to develop without the diplomatic camp." He also specifically proposed: "Strive to improve relations with France and establish diplomatic relations." In January 1964, China and France announced the establishment of diplomatic relations. International public opinion has called it a "diplomatic nuclear bomb that broke through the ice of the Cold War."
Establishing diplomatic relations is the first step, and consolidating diplomatic positions and maintaining and expanding influence in the Western world are more important tasks. Telling the Chinese story well on the French stage is of extraordinary significance to comprehensively breaking through the Western blockade. It was in this context that the "Ulan Pastoral Horse" visited France. It was born in the Xilin Gol steppe of Inner Mongolia, the Mongolian original meaning of "red buds" or "red light horse", referring to the red cultural task force, red literary and artistic light cavalry, known for the team lineup is capable, the team members are specialized and versatile, the program is small and diverse, and the equipment is light and flexible.
In September 1965, at the invitation of the French Federation of Students, the Delegation of Chinese Students participated in the 13th International Cultural Festival for University Students held in Marseille, France, and visited some other cities in France. The delegation selected elite soldiers and organized a 7-member literary and artistic detachment, carrying only an accordion, a tape recorder for accompaniment, several sets of dance costumes and several simple props. This flexibility and mobility allowed it to adapt to different performance conditions in order to spread the charm of Chinese red culture to all levels of French society. To be precise, this literary and artistic detachment is an "Ulan Pastoral Horse" that keeps pace with the times.
In the first performance of the opening ceremony of the festival, "Ulan Pastoral" performed together with 5 representatives of the delegation. The performance refreshed the audience and fully appreciated the strong charm of Chinese red literature and art. Four dancers danced "Red Silk Dance", "Female Militia Dance", "Harvest Dance", etc., bursting out a strong red passion; the two singers sang "Red Mezan", "The Sea Sails by the Helmsman", "The Sun Rises and Sets on the Grassland", "I Ran Happily with the Big Car", "The Train Came to the Gobi Desert" and other red songs, showing a vigorous and upward mental outlook; accordion performers played "Back to Yan'an" and France's "Song of the Guerrillas", so that people felt the charm of instrumental display of red history. Finally, all the members of the entire delegation sang "We Walk on the Road" with great enthusiasm. As soon as the song ended, the audience erupted into a long-lasting warm applause.
Immediately after the opening ceremony, the French side warmly invited the "Ulan Pastoral" to tour several small cities near Marseille and major cities such as Paris and Lyon. "Wulan Pastoral Riding" does not talk about conditions, is not afraid of hardships and fatigue of the journey, whether in the theater, square, street, or in the playground, classroom, canteen, are full of spirit into the performance. Sometimes when the recording equipment fails, they rely on the accordion to complete the performance. After each performance, everyone worked together to pack up the props, tidy up the venue, and try not to cause trouble to the receptionist. The 22 performances enabled more than 9,000 French students, workers and citizens to enjoy the song and dance programs from New China and the vigorous spirit of Chinese actors. French audiences generally consider the Chinese program to be the most exciting program at the festival. Some actors from participating countries also took the initiative to learn Chinese dance from the dancers of "Wulan Muqi", the most popular of which was the "Red Silk Dance".
More than a dozen French national and local newspapers reported on the activities of the Chinese delegation in pictures, saying that Chinese was the star and protagonist of the festival, and the performances were of high quality, vividly reflecting the vigorous spirit of the Chinese people. Even if some newspapers attacked Chinese's performances were political propaganda with "smiling" means, they still had to admit that the cast was "short and capable", "wonderful performances" and "conquered Marseille".
"Wulan Pastoral Riding" is worthy of being the "task force" of Chinese red literature and art. Taking advantage of all possible opportunities and occasions, he held discussions with more than 200 French youths and students and actively introduced the situation in the People's Republic of China. Many young French people said that they had previously felt that China was a mysterious backward country, but after watching the performance and listening to the introduction, they realized that China had jumped from the sick man of East Asia and become a big country with an atomic bomb like France. Some young people also specifically said that China is right to take the socialist road.
When Zhou Enlai and Chen Yi learned that the "Ulan Mu Riding" was a great success in France, they were very happy. On the evening of December 22, 1965, when they received the Inner Mongolia Ulan Pastoral Red Culture Task Force, they specially invited this "Ulan Pastoral Horse" who had returned from the French performance to participate together, and instructed the relevant departments to report on their activities in France. Later, the People's Daily published a special article entitled "Chinese Ulan Pastoral Riding in France."
"Ballet diplomacy" has become a good story in the history of China's diplomacy
Ballet version of "The White-Haired Girl"
In 1945, the opera "White Haired Girl", which was collectively created by Lu Xun Art Institute in Yan'an and written by He Jingzhi and Ding Yi, was staged. This was the first new opera created on the basis of the New Song Movement and became a milestone in national opera. Later, it gave birth to a variety of different art forms, including film, Peking opera and local drama. In particular, under the guidance of Chairman Mao's policy of "foreign use for Chinese use", the ballet "White Haired Girl", which draws on a large number of ethnic elements, is still recognized as the pinnacle of Chinese ballet at home and abroad. The ballet played a special role in the second wave of diplomatic relations in the People's Republic of China.
On July 10, 1972, the "White Haired Girl" crew of the Shanghai Dance School (known as the "China Shanghai Dance Troupe") arrived in Japan at the invitation of the Japanese side and under the leadership of Sun Pinghua, secretary general of the China-Japan Friendship Association. This non-governmental visit has become an "ice-breaking trip" for Sino-Japanese relations. More than 2,000 people braved the rain at Tokyo's Haneda Airport, including the heads of the Japan-Chinese Exchange Association and the Asahi Shimbun, members of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) such as Aichirō Fujiyama and Tokuma Utsunomiya, major figures in the opposition, and people from all walks of life, including the Japan-China Friendship Association and the Performing Arts.
On the evening of July 14, the dance troupe held its first performance in Tokyo. More than 1,200 spectators enjoyed the ballet "The White-Haired Girl" and the piano concerto "Yellow River". The most surprising thing was the arrival of Japanese Minister of State Takeo Miki and Yasuhiro Nakasone, Minister of Trade and Industry. The performance was a great success, and the audience applauded one after another. After the curtain fell, a banner was put on the stage reading "Long live the friendship between the Chinese and Japanese peoples." Takeo Miki and Yasuhiro Nakasone looked at it and praised, "It's really good, it must be very popular." On July 20, Aichiro Fujiyama, president of the "Alliance of Parliamentarians promoting the restoration of Diplomatic Relations between Japan and China," specially arranged a super high-standard cocktail party to welcome the visiting group leader Sun Pinghua and Xiao Xiangqian, chief representative of China-Japan Trade in Japan. Foreign Minister Masahiro Ohira, Takeo Miki, Yasuhiro Nakasone, and other government officials, members of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party Committee, leaders of the opposition party, and leading figures in Japan's financial circles were all dressed in costume. At the cocktail party, both China and Japan euphemistically expressed their desire to restore Sino-Japanese diplomatic relations. On July 22 and August 11, Daping Zhengfang met with Sun Pinghua and Xiao Xiangqian twice, and the two sides held in-depth talks on the issue of "restoring diplomatic relations between the two countries." Foreign Minister Ohira conveyed Prime Minister Kakuei Tanaka's wish to visit China. On August 15, Kakuei Tanaka personally met with Sun Pinghua and officially announced that he would visit China in the near future.
The activities of the dance troupe have changed the attitude of many Japanese people towards China. Some friends who came to help the troupe work learned about the specific conditions of China after getting along with the troupe members, envied the equal and stable life of the Chinese and people, and took the initiative to publicize it to their relatives and friends. Some people originally held a skeptical and wait-and-see attitude toward China, but after obvious changes in their attitude toward getting along and communicating, they praised the superiority of China's socialist system one after another, and specially put up a large slogan when sending off: "We will never forget the red sun."
On August 13, the dance troupe held a special performance at the Tokyo Bunka Kaikan, which was attended by 4,500 activists, workers, farmers, and young students engaged in the work of friendship between Japan and China. At the end of the performance, the audience cheered warmly for a long time, waved to the Chinese actors, and sang the "Internationale". The troupe has performed 19 performances in Tokyo, Osaka, Kobe, Nagoya and Kyoto, with a total audience of more than 40,000 people, winning a huge reputation for China. Television stations have broadcast the activities of dance troupes on a number of occasions, and 3 of them have also televised and rebroadcast their performances. Famous people and groups in the Japanese performing arts industry watched the performance and gave it high praise. According to incomplete statistics, nearly 70 newspapers and 20 magazines in Japan have carried out friendly reports, published hundreds of comments, and nearly 300 photos. After watching the performance, a worker said: "I feel a strong force and a sense of intimacy that is different from Japanese ballet." Japanese dance critic Masao Anjing said: "The performance concretely embodies Mao Zedong's idea of 'foreign use for Chinese use'... Chinese ballet was not simply transplanted, as in Japan, but actively absorbed the parts that were beneficial to the revolution. Drama critic Shuji Ishizawa said: "Whether it is 'Red Detachment of Women' or 'The White-Haired Girl', it is not just a ballet but also a dance drama. They are not limited to the expression of ballet, but also absorb the movements of Chinese folk dance and Peking opera, using national instruments, indicating that they have become completely different from the ballet of Western Europe. ”
Mao Huifang, who plays Xi'er in "The White-Haired Girl", recalled the reaction of the Japanese audience at that time: "Some audiences said that we can understand and love to watch such dance dramas that you perform for the workers, peasants, and soldiers. Some people say that the ballet I have watched in the past is not sung with an accompaniment, and you have not only changed it to a dance drama with accompaniment, but also sang out our inner words! During the performance in Osaka, many friends shed tears when it came to the performance of "Xi'er was persecuted by the bully landlord". When the Japanese audience raised their eyebrows and said happily, 'When we see the red sun rise, our mood is the same as yours, full of incomparable joy'. We saw the scene of the fusion of the stage and the stage, and we felt even more that the chinese and Japanese peoples have the common desire and emotion to enhance friendship. On the contrary, most Japanese people generally did not have a high opinion of the Soviet Ballet's performances in Japan at that time, such as "Swan Lake", "Don Quixote", and "Poetry of the Forest", because these dances had not changed much since the 18th century, lacked vitality, and did not have the strong Chinese folk characteristics and positive vitality of Chinese ballet. ”
In addition to the performance, the dance troupe also visited Japanese factories and rural areas, and held more than 10 party activities with more than 20,000 Japanese workers, farmers, students and friends in the literary and artistic circles. In the Kansai region, dance troupes and parties of Korean and overseas Chinese participated in as many as 5,000 people. In Osaka, the dance troupe performed on the same stage as a friendly party of Japanese actors. The venue was filled with an atmosphere of unity and friendship among the literary and art workers of the two countries.
When the Shanghai Dance Troupe returned to China from Japan, it was treated with unprecedented high standards. The dance troupe took a chartered flight of JAL to Shanghai, which was the first flight of a Japanese civil aircraft to China after World War II, and Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways also tested flights in advance to safely and smoothly deliver Chinese guests. The chartered direct flight was proposed by Aichiro Fujiyama, and Sun Pinghua did not agree at first. He believes that the two countries have not yet established diplomatic relations, which is too ostentatious, and the original plan was to return to China through Hong Kong, and the plane tickets and train tickets were bought. After Sun Pinghua reported the incident to Zhou Enlai, Zhou Enlai immediately replied: "No, it is very necessary, this is politics!" It also specifically instructed the Shanghai Municipal Government to prepare for this and welcome the dance troupe back to China. When the dance troupe left Japan, the Japanese people held a grand farewell ceremony. Takeo Miki paid special attention to government departments and airlines to hold ceremonies in the apron, which has never been seen in Japanese history.
At 9:00 a.m. on August 16, the delegation arrived at Gate 21 of Haneda Airport, and the Japanese people who were waiting at the scene immediately cheered. Senior Japanese officials and celebrities from all walks of life, led by Senate President Kenzo Kono, attended the farewell ceremony. Many Japanese people hold Chinese flags and fans with "Goodbye" in their hands to bid them farewell. The airport also hung banners such as "Wishing a Safe Journey", "Warm Farewell" and "We Will Never Forget the Red Sun". The gangways of the two charter flights are covered with red carpets, and everything is treated exactly as a state guest.
The welcoming ceremony of the delegation to Shanghai Hongqiao Airport also surprised the Japanese crew: the airport held a banner reading "Long live the friendship between the Chinese and Japanese peoples", 3,000 people lined up to greet them with gongs and drums, the terminal building was crowded, and primary and secondary school students, workers, farmers and others lined up to more than 500 meters to welcome the delegation's return. Shortly after the delegation returned to China, on September 25, Kakuei Tanaka and his party arrived in Beijing as scheduled, and Zhou Enlai personally greeted them. On September 29, the two governments issued the Sino-Japanese Joint Statement, which finally achieved normal diplomatic relations.
The visit of the "White-Haired Girl" dance troupe to Japan has played a special role in opening a new chapter in Sino-Japanese relations. The "ballet diplomacy" promoted by "The White-Haired Girl" has become a good story in the history of Chinese diplomacy, and it has also become a brilliant moment in the history of the external dissemination of Chinese red literature and art. This is still of great enlightenment significance for how we can use literary and artistic forms to tell the Chinese story to the people of all countries in the world in the new era.