On June 25, 2021, Peng Pan's granddaughter Peng Yina was interviewed by a reporter from Southern Weekend. (Southern Weekend reporter Weng Huan/photo)
In the 1920s, two reports came to the attention of revolutionaries. One is Mao Zedong's "Report on the Investigation of the Peasant Movement in Hunan", and the other is Peng Pan's "Report on the Haifeng Peasant Movement".
Peng Pan was what Mao Zedong called the "king of the peasant movement" and the "three generations of the rich" in the eyes of his granddaughter Peng Yina.
When the Peng family was at its peak, it had more than 40 shops in Haifeng County, Guangdong Province, and "the fields that crows could not fly". As the fourth eldest in the family, Peng Pan did not like to be called "fourth brother" by others, and Peng Pan, who studied at Waseda University in Japan in his early years, was often called "Ah Pan" after returning to China.
Facing the sea in the south and mountains in the northwest, Haifeng County carries Peng Pan's youth. Born on October 22, 1896, Peng Pan often showed sympathy for the peasants' plight as a teenager, but was reprimanded by his father for pouring a bowl of hot tea for a tenant.
According to the recollection of li Chuntao, a friend who stayed in Japan, Peng Pan's name has always been on the "black table of socialists" in the Japanese police station. Even during hospitalization for sinusitis, there are Japanese criminal (police) "escorts".
In 1921, Peng Pan returned to China and later joined the Communist Party of China. The first thing the revolutionary did was to support the peasants with his wealth and to call on everyone to fight against the landlords. Later, this was said to be "taking his own life". Her mother, Zhou Feng, washed her face with tears after hearing Peng Pan's seventh brother read "Words to the Peasants", and there were even rumors in the local area that Peng Pan was "suffering from mental illness".
All this made Peng Pan realize that "the peasants can definitely unite." More than a decade later, Zhou Feng in Hong Kong resolutely sent 5 grandchildren and 1 granddaughter to the Dongjiang Column to participate in the War of Resistance Against Japan.
Therefore, in the summer of 1922, the people of Haifeng County could often see Peng Pan, a young master carrying a phonograph, at the intersection in front of the Tianhou Temple at the foot of Longshan Mountain, attracting the attention of farmers through music and magic, and sometimes singing his own song "Tian Zai Scolding Tian Gong". In order to make the farmers willing to listen to him, Peng Pan took off his suit and went to help the farmers plant seedlings and cultivate the fields. This time made the big brother who was already in charge very dissatisfied, "almost willing to kill me."
One day in November 1922, in the Presence of tenants, Peng Pan burned all the seventy-stone lease deeds he had obtained after his separation, thus opening the prelude to the peasant movement. Two years later, in April, Peng Pan, a member of the Communist Party of China, became secretary of the Kuomintang Central Peasant Department and founded the Peasant Movement Training Institute in Guangzhou.
Since then, the peasant movement in Guangdong has flourished.
In accordance with the instructions of the CPC Central Committee, Peng Pan went to Hong Kong to launch the third armed uprising of the people of the two counties and established the Hailufeng Soviet power. Some scholars have found that in the more than five months since the existence of the Hailufeng Soviet regime, many attempts have been made to build a modern country, such as the establishment of an election system and a legal system that have begun to take shape, and the adoption of the first "land law" during the period of the agrarian revolutionary war.
However, the establishment of the Hailufeng Soviet power greatly panicked the reactionaries. During the revolutionary period, including Peng Pan, a total of 7 people in the Peng family sacrificed for their faith.
When Peng Pan died in 1929, his second son Peng Shilu was only 4 years old, and in order not to be "cut down and removed from the roots", he lived in seclusion in Chao'an County, and was arrested and imprisoned at the age of 8. In 1940, Zhou Enlai sent people to lead Peng Shilu and some martyrs' children out of Guangdong. Later, Peng Shilu became one of the pioneers and founders in the field of nuclear power in China.
Peng Pan's third son was named Peng Hong. At the end of the 1970s, the leaders of the Guangdong Provincial Party Committee also specially instructed Peng Hong's wife, Chen Ping, to take Peng Dan and Peng Yina to the provincial party committee auditorium every week to watch movies. As the granddaughter of Peng Pan, after graduating from the Department of Journalism at Jinan University, Peng Yina participated in the founding of Southern Weekend and in 1988 went to the Propaganda, Culture and Sports Department of the Macao Branch of Xinhua News Agency to participate in the preparations for the return of Macao.
At the end of December 2009, Peng Yina was added as a member of the Guangdong Provincial Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. When Weibo first emerged, she interacted frequently with netizens, and to this day, Peng Yina's Weibo still retains records of collecting suggestions from netizens between 2012 and 2017.
Peng Pan's influence has continued. In recent years, Peng Yina has turned her attention to public welfare. In 2013, she set up the "Peng Pan Care Fund" named after Peng Pan under the Shenzhen Care Action Public Welfare Foundation, and launched the "Dequ Book Bar" project to send books and bookcases to children in poor villages.
On June 25, 2021, Southern Weekend reporters conducted an exclusive interview with Peng Yina, peng Pan's granddaughter.
<h3>"Rich Three Generations"</h3>
Southern Weekend: This year marks the centenary of the founding of the Communist Party of China, and seeing that you have recently gone to many places to give lectures, are you busier than before?
Peng Yina: I have been retired for more than two years, and after retirement, it is still very different, I can do something I like, I usually like to fight boxing and tai chi. My mother is 90 years old, and I spend about half a month with my mother in Guangzhou every month.
I didn't have as much time to work in society before, but now whenever I have time, I accept some invitations to give lectures.
This year, I was a little busier, I received a lot of media interviews, and I also gave more lectures. The theme of the lecture is generally inseparable from my grandfather, but I am not talking about Peng Pan's life in detail, I am more about how I approached my grandfather, through him to understand the history of the Communist Party, to understand our faith, to understand the significance of this revolution, I will communicate with you about my own mental journey.
Southern Weekend: When did you know your grandfather was Peng Pan?
Peng Yina: I knew from a very young age that I grew up on the campus of South China Agricultural University, and I remember that when I was about four or five years old, my father taught me to read a quote from Chairman Mao, "Thousands of martyrs have heroically sacrificed in front of us, let us hold high their flags and march forward on their blood."
But when I was a child, I only knew that he was a martyr, and I didn't know much about the specific situation. The first time I returned to my hometown of Haifeng was in 1976, when my grandfather's ancestral home was burned down by the reactionaries after the defeat of the Revolution, and I saw only shallow roots, and nothing about him could be seen.
People in the family rarely mention grandpa, let alone tell me how glorious grandpa is. My father died early, but even when he came to my uncle's house, he wouldn't always talk about his grandfather.
In fact, until I joined the work, I didn't know much about my grandfather, just some, but not very comprehensive.
Southern Weekend: How did you get acquainted with him later?
Peng Yina: After going to college, I began to know a little more. I only knew that he was a martyr, but later I heard that he was engaged in the peasant movement, and I thought he was a peasant who rose up for the sake of life. In the 1980s, I slowly learned that he was originally from a rich family, and at that time, my grandfather's ancestral home was restored, and I saw some old photos of the family, and I learned that he was originally an international student at Waseda University in Japan, and the family was quite rich.
Later, I returned to my hometown more often, and I slowly got to know some friends in my hometown, who sometimes drove me around and told me that this field used to belong to your Peng family, and that it was also that piece.
In 2007, the Central Party School Publishing House of the Communist Party of China published a set of "Peng Pan Research Series", a total of 6 volumes, which contained almost all things about Peng Pan, including his life, the study of his original historical materials, and some experts' discussions.
Southern Weekend: What were the most impressive details in the process of approaching him?
Peng Yina: When I look at my grandfather's profile and photos, I am often shocked. I remember in the eighties, we were all learning to wear suits and ties, and when I saw the pictures of their brothers, I found that their ties were so good, and the suits were very nice to look at, and it was a very exquisite life at a glance. They were already very rich at the time, so they wondered, why did they give up these things, why did they take the road of revolution?
For a while, there was also some deviation in my understanding of revolutionaries, and I felt as if they had no feelings. But as I slowly discovered that Grandpa was a very flesh-and-blood man, very romantic and talented, and with a soft face, I would think about what had attracted him to the path of revolution.
Grandpa he actually betrayed the family's expectations of him, originally the family sent him to study abroad, hoping that he could return to become an official, so that the family's wealth is more secure. But when he returned, he did not follow this path, and he was still with the tenants, and he wanted to divide the fields.
He is a very romantic person, when he and my grandmother were married, he originally did not want to accept this marriage, but did not leave grandma, but took her to progress together, my grandmother just married to my grandfather's house, my grandfather let her "put her feet", and also bought a pair of small leather shoes for her, taught her to read and write, when grandpa went to Japan, let her send her homework to Japan, and then sent it back after grading.
Southern Weekend: When you give lectures, you often highlight Peng Pan's identity as a "rich third generation" and "returnee", why is this so?
Peng Yina: Because I think it's quite "contrary". A man who least needed revolution ended up being the king of the peasant movement. If you don't look closely, it is difficult to understand why a rich boy would give up a good life and choose the path of revolution.
They were living in a country that was poor and weak, divided up by the Western powers, and many young people at that time regarded saving the country as their most important responsibility. Grandpa was in Japan at the time, and although he was rich, the Japanese regarded these Chinese students as "people without countries.". After arriving in Japan, his desire to save the country became more urgent.
In 1926, Peng Pan and his two sons took a group photo. (Photo courtesy of Peng Yina/Photo)
<h3>"Family style does not have to have a letter."</h3>
Southern Weekend: After the college entrance examination, you were first admitted to the Department of Foreign Languages of Jinan University, and then transferred to the Department of Journalism, and then you basically worked in the media, is your career choice related to your family origin?
Peng Yina: I was not very good at mathematics at that time, but foreign languages were OK, so I was admitted to the Department of Foreign Languages. But I always wanted to study journalism, and when I wanted to change majors, the head of the foreign language department advised me that the foreign language department was the most popular, but I decided to transfer to journalism anyway.
At that time, when making choices, I had nothing to do with my family or my grandfather, but I just felt liked it. Iron shoulders bear morality, clever hands to write articles, this is quite attractive to me. But in this life, my grandfather's greatest influence on me was to become a member of the people and to do things for the public and the country.
Southern Weekend: Soon after you joined the work, you transferred to Southern Weekend and participated in the creation of Southern Weekend, what was the process of founding at that time, and what kind of work were you responsible for?
Peng Yina: I was the third to go to Southern Weekend, and when I went to check in, there were only two desks in the office, and I was painting the walls. A few days later, a few more colleagues, four or five people in all, began to study the earliest inaugural issue.
The original Nanzhou had four editions per issue, the front page was generally cultural news, mostly about some entertainment stars, and the second page was "Family and Society". I edited four editions, called "Yilin", mainly to report on the news in the field of art, I was more concerned about some of the emerging art genres in China, I interviewed Tan Dun, Liu Sola, and also reported on some emerging art exhibitions at that time.
Once the editor-in-chief called me over and said that someone had written to the newspaper to tell me that at that time, "Yilin" would publish a group of art photos in each issue, and published a "Laocoön", which was a very famous male nude group sculpture, which is not a problem at all, but at that time some people thought that this was a "yellow" photo.
Including the content of the "Four Little Swans" ballet published by Southern Weekend at that time, some people wrote letters to complain. Now I don't think this is an innovation, but it was not easy to take the first step at that time.
I think the leaders at all levels at that time were very discerning, very responsible, and quite tolerant, so there would be the emergence of the Southern Zhou.
After I left Southern Zhou, I have always paid close attention to Southern Zhou, and I am a loyal reader.
Southern Weekend: Later, you were transferred from Nanzhou to the Macao Branch of Xinhua News Agency, responsible for preparing for the return of Macao and organizing the selection of you to Macao.
Peng Yina: I met the Macau bureau chief of Xinhua News Agency at a casual event. At that time, the return of Macao had just been negotiated and put on the agenda, and the Macao branch of the Xinhua News Agency was being formed, and they needed manpower, and they wanted to recruit people from the media to write articles, and they could also speak Cantonese, and they inspected me for a period of time and directly transferred me through the organization.
At first, I thought I would be able to come back after two or three years, but I didn't expect to work there for 13 years until Macau was returned. I participated in the work of Macao's return to the motherland, such as doing research reports for the cultural construction of Macao after the reversion, planning the "Song of the Seven Sons" at the time of the return to the motherland, and so on. Working in Macau has made me feel that a great career is made up of a lot of small, concrete details.
Southern Weekend: After working in Macau for thirteen years, you and your family have gathered less and left more, how do you handle the relationship between work and family?
Peng Yina: When I went to Macau, my son was only 8 months old. At that time, the traffic was not very developed, and it took seven or eight hours to cross two ferries from Guangzhou to Macau. I came back once every half a month or so, when there was only one day off a week, often after work on Saturdays, I could rush back to my home in Guangzhou in the early morning, and I had to rush back to my home at noon on Sunday, and I could only stay at home for half a day every time.
Every time I came home, I could only see my son for a while, and then I went back with tears in my heart. I still remember that once when I stood up to leave, my son grabbed me, and he was not able to speak at that time, shouting at me, "Mom, sit", and my tears came down.
When I was in Macau, I often felt very sorry that I had not spent more than a month with my children and husband. I was afraid of leaving regrets, so after the return of Macao, I immediately applied to return to the mainland to work.
When a reporter interviewed me before, let me talk about family style, I think that family style is not necessarily to have a letter or the like left for you, but a habit and atmosphere of the family. My grandfather and several of his brothers and sisters died in the revolution, and they put the individual and the country and the people together in what decisions they made. When I went to Macau, my mother felt that I should go, and that the affairs of the country were big things.
<h3>Make proposals from the perspective of the public interest</h3>
Southern Weekend: Will you often return to Haifeng now?
Peng Yina: I still have a lot of opportunities to go to Haifeng, because I am now doing the "Peng Pan Care Fund" and "Dequ Book Bar" public welfare projects, and Haifeng also has dozens of "Peng Pan Care Fund" designated schools, and we often have to go to the town to visit the school, so we will go back to our hometown more and understand more deeply.
Over the years, when I return to Haifeng, I can often find something new. Last year, my grandmother's ancestral home was built into an exhibition hall, and I was shocked to see it.
In the past, we used to see only grand things in this revolution, but this time I suddenly saw a rural landlord's family, fissioning in this revolution, with 10 martyrs. They also came into contact with Marxism-Leninism under the influence of Peng Pan, and then began to change, and I felt that a rural family could be so deeply affected by the revolution.
I also saw the significance of this revolution led by the Communist Party of China, which enabled Chinese society to be reborn from the flames.
Southern Weekend: After returning from Macau, you went to work in the Shenzhen newspaper industry, and then you were added as a member of the Guangdong Provincial Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, and the first proposal you put forward at that time was about the development of red tourism, which was very much in line with your identity.
Peng Yina: The election of a member of the Provincial CPPCC Committee may have something to do with the fact that I was Peng Pan's granddaughter, and at that time, there were almost no representative figures like the descendants of martyrs in the CPPCC, so it should be that the organization had this consideration, and then recommended me.
But the proposal to develop red tourism was not something that the leaders asked me to bring up. At that time, the state selected the "National Red Tourism Classic Scenic Spots", and there were 50 in the first batch, and the number of selected in Guangdong Province was very small. A policeman from my hometown wrote me a material saying that red tourism has been so prosperous, but the number of Guangdong is too small, and even Haifeng's Red Palace and Red Square are not included.
Then I wrote a proposal that Guangdong could not be absent from red tourism, and suggested that the red tourism of Guangdong Province should be constructed from the history of national rejuvenation. This proposal was later taken seriously by the then secretary of the Guangdong Provincial Party Committee, and when the second batch of red tourism classic scenic spots were selected, Guangdong had 9 finalists.
Southern Weekend: You have been a member of the Provincial Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference for two terms, which proposal is more satisfactory to you?
Peng Yina: I have a very satisfactory proposal to suggest that the phenomenon of double household registration be checked, and at that time, I saw someone in the news holding a double household registration and two identities, and I paid attention to this phenomenon.
I think the phenomenon that a person has multiple household registrations affects the most basic things in our social governance, how can a person have multiple information and identities? In this way, someone who has done something bad may not be able to find him, and the size of this group is not small.
After this proposal was put forward, it caused some repercussions, and the Guangdong Provincial Public Security Department also replied to me that it would promote the handling. Later, the intensity of the advance began to rise. How did I realize that I had a relative who had a dual household registration and was picked up that year.
Southern Weekend: When you were a member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, you were quite active on Weibo, and what role did the online platform play in your participation in politics and deliberations?
Peng Yina: None of my proposals came from the Internet, but Weibo provided me with a channel to listen to the voices of the public.
At that time, there was a round of "ban on motorcycles" in Shantou, and hundreds of people left messages on my Weibo in those days, and many people said that after the "ban on motorcycles", the travel of families was affected. If you are not a member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, these voices are difficult to hear. Later, I gave feedback to the relevant departments through the channels of the CPPCC, and I felt that although urban governance is important, it is also necessary to take into account the travel problems of the people.
One of the things I've received the most support online is the proposal to cancel a coal-fired power plant project that would cause a lot of pollution if it wasn't stopped. I was initially interviewed by the media to express my doubts about the project.
At that time, it was still a little stressful, and it really touched the interests of some people, and some people told me, "You are so bold." But the final result is still quite satisfactory, the project was immediately stopped, I think the society, including the government departments, have a lot of righteous forces.
What I feel rather gratified is that in those years when I was a CPPCC member, I did not put forward proposals for the interests of small groups, but from the perspective of the interests of the whole society and the public.
Southern Weekend reporter Su Youpeng zhang Diyang Southern Weekend intern Jiang Minyu