Anyuan

Professor Elizabeth Perry offers an insightful perspective on the surprising revolutionary path of the Chinese Communist Party. She attributes this divergence from the Russian model to the innovative use of cultural resources by the Party, from the revolutionary uprising to the consolidation of power. Mao Zedong and his successors adeptly employed "cultural positioning" and "cultural manipulation" to familiarize the Chinese people with the once foreign communist system, shaping it into a "Chinese characteristic." Professor Perry delves into the early workers' movement at the Anyuan Coal Mine as a case study, highlighting its significance as a symbol of the unique Chinese revolutionary tradition. Her analysis explores the implications of this tradition as contemporary Chinese academia grapples with political prospects and debates its revolutionary history.