Chinese Studies -- China's Revolution in Politics, Literature, Feminism: New Thoughts & New Culture

The May Fourth intellectuals promoted science and democracy, women’s suffrage and equality, economic rights for China’s poor majority, and the promotion of a new literary language, based on vernacular speech, that would allow greater literacy and spread of progressive political ideals. The proponents of the New Culture saw education and social progress as crucial remedies to China’s diplomatic weakness and endemic poverty. Their goal was to strengthen China’s economy, social fabric, and international standing through programs of public education. They hoped to engage China’s masses through easily accessible texts and dramatic graphic design. The Chinese delegation to the Paris Peace Conference included over sixty members, including military officers and technical experts. (Song Qingling’s maternal uncle, Linson Edward Dzau or Cao Linsheng, 曹霖 生, 1895–1978, was also a member of the delegation as a secretary.) Five plenipotentiary delegates were authorized to sign on behalf of China’s government. Other well-known intellectuals like Liang Qichao (梁啟超, 1873–1929) were also present in Paris and communicated news of the negotiations to friends and journalists in China. Indeed, it was Liang Qichao who relayed to China news of the disappointing Shandong negotiations; his bulletins were the basis for the May 2 essay that launched the May 4 demonstrations. The official delegation was led by China’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Lu Zhengxiang (陸征祥, 1871–1949), and had as its spokesperson Wellington Koo (Gu Weijun 顧維鈞, 1888–1985), who later served as Ambassador to France, Great Britain and the United States, helped found the League of Nations and the United Nations, and was a judge on the International Court of Justice in The Hague. No formal instructions were given to the Chinese delegation as to whether they should endorse the treaty. Ultimately they all refused to sign, earning them wide public support from individuals and civic institutions in China who praised their patriotism. Below is a telegram to the Chinese government, via the Chinese embassy in Washington D.C., from American advisor to China John Calvin Ferguson (Chinese name 福開森, 1866–1945), former president of both Nanjing University and Nanyang University in Shanghai. During the negotiations, Ferguson updated the Chinese government regarding the position of U.S. officials as well as American public opinion, which was generally supportive of China’s position regarding Shandong.

Bibliography

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Yen, Y., & Fu, Ruoyu. (1925). Pʻing min chʻien tzu kʻo.

平民千字課.

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Cai, Y. (1920). Tsʻai Chieh-min hsien shêng yen hsing lu.

蔡孑民先生言行錄.

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One of the most well-known intellectuals of the era was the progressive educator and author Chen Duxiu (陳獨秀, 1879–1942), who in 1921 cofounded the Chinese Communist Party and served as its first General Secretary until 1927. In 1915, Chen started the magazine New Youth (Xin qingnian 新靑年 or La Jeunesse), which was published until the Nationalist Government closed it in 1926. In addition to Chen, editors of the magazine included some of the most famous intellectuals of the era, including philosopher and diplomat Hu Shih (胡適, 1891–1962), fellow CCP founder Li Dazhao (李大釗, 1889–1927), and modernist fiction writer Lu Xun (鲁迅, 1881–1936). In its first issue, Chen Duxiu published “Letter to Youth” (Jinggao qingnian 敬告青年), which encouraged young people to “be independent and not enslaved, be progressive and not conservative, be in the forefront and not lagging behind, be internationalist and not isolationist, be practical and not rhetorical, and be scientific and not superstitious.” Chen Duxiu’s advocacy of both science and democracy was soon a rallying cry for May Fourth protestors, who colloquially welcomed “Mr. Democracy and Mr. Science” to China. Other progressive periodicals of the era include New Tide (Xinchao 新潮), published starting in 1918 by the New Tide Society, whose members were Beijing students inspired by Hu Shih, Li Dazhao, and other progressives. The monthly journal was the fourth vernacular-language periodical in China. New Tide articles promoted Western political and social thought and encouraged China’s young people to embrace progressive politics.

 

 

Bibliography

 

Qing Nian Za Zhi = La Jeunesse. (1915).

新青年. 第一卷，第一號 / 北京：人民出版社，1915.

Call Number: AC95 .C4 Q25

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Call Number: JQ1519 .A5 Z466 2005

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Chen, D., Ren, Jianshu, Zhang, Tongmo, & Wu, Xinzhong. (1993). Chen Duxiu zhu zuo xuan (Di 1 ban.. ed.). Shanghai: Shanghai ren min chu ban she.

陳獨秀著作選 / 任建樹，張統模，吳信忠編. 上海：上海人民出版社，1993.

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Quan guo tu shu guan wen xian suo wei fu zhi zhong xin. (1919). Xin Chao = The Renaissance.

新潮

Call Number: PL2512 .X557

Zhongguo gong chan dang. Zhong yang Makesi En'gesi Liening Sidalin zhu zuo bian yi ju. Yan jiu shi. (1958). Wu si shi qi qi kan jie shao. Beijing : Ren min chu ban she.

五四時期期刊介紹

Call Number: Z3106 .C594 1958