'Using the Past to Serve the Present'

On 26 January 1958, the Chinese state-sponsored literary journal Wenyi bao (Literary Gazette) launched its second issue of year. This special number carried half a dozen polemics under rubric “Zai pipan” (“Resumed Criticisms”), each followed by unexpurgated text essay or short story that it targeted. In June, these articles were collected into slim volume along with condemned pieces. Among numerous political campaigns in Mao’s China, this event seems insignificant at first glance and most previous studies refrain from more than mentioning it; but closer look reveals many extraordinary features about it. To begin with, all targeted works originally published early 1940s had already been denounced famous Yan’an Rectification Campaign (hence title): why bother dredging up banal works? Besides, recently eyewitness accounts reveal manifesto campaign was penned (in part) none other Great Helmsman himself: would paramount leader condescend to denunciate group hapless writers (one them dead)? seeks explore much-forgotten inquisition explain some anomalous qualities. Furthermore, argues exemplifies own brand historical revisionism — 'using past serve present.'