Created 1-Jun-08
Modified 19-Jan-17
A series of official propaganda photographs from Qufu at the height of the anti-Confucius campaign. As the ancient home to "the Sage" and his heirs, Qufu was a prime target for intellectual and physical attacks from the Red Guards during the latter stages of the Cultural Revolution. The slogan "ethics serve politics" was heard throughout the land, and many traditional Confucian ritual practices were banned, such as the mourning period after a family member's passing.
Qufu's Confucius Temple (in fact a series of grand ancestral and sacrificial halls and courtyards) was converted into a revolutionary teaching facility, with showrooms of past evils and well-trained guides speaking of the exploitation of the old days and ways.
Keywords:
Shandong Forum on Confucius (1962)
Readings:
Joseph, William, A: The Critique of ultra-Leftism in China, 1958-1981; Stanford University Press, 1984
Gu Chun: The Reactionary Nature of the Worship of Confucius by the Feudal Ruling Class and the Anti-Confucian Struggles of the Peasants as Seen from the History of the Temple of Confucius at Qufu; in 考古 Kaogu, 1974.01 (in Chinese).
Pu Jen: Qufu, once a Shrine of Confucius and His Followers Becomes a Battlefront for Criticizing Lin Piao and Confucianism; in 考古 Kaogu, 1974.03 (in Chinese).
Pu Hong: The Kong Family's Mansion at Qufu - a Manor of Landlord Tyrants; in 考古 Kaogu, 1974.04 (in Chinese).
Thomas H. Hahn
Ithaca, NY
© Thomas H. Hahn Docu-Images
