Political music in China

Music of China

* Timeline

General topics

* Instruments
* Musicology
* Orchestra

Genres

* C-pop: (Cantopop, Mandopop, Hokkien pop)
* Rock
* Heavy metal
* Hip hop
* Opera

Specific forms

* Taoist music
* Yayue

Media and performance
|  Music festivals

Midi Modern Music Festival
Music media

* Radio stations
* China Record Corporation

Nationalistic and patriotic songs
|  National anthem

* Historical anthems
* Patriotic / Revolutionary
* March of the Volunteers
* Three Principles of the People

Regional music

* Anhui
* Fujian
* Gansu
* Guangdong
* Guangxi
* Guizhou
* Hainan
* Hebei
* Heilongjiang
* Henan
* Hong Kong
* Hunan
* Hubei
* Inner Mongolia
* Jiangsu
* Jiangxi
* Jilin
* Liaoning
* Macau
* Northeast
* Qinghai
* Shandong
* Shaanxi
* Shanxi
* Sichuan
* Tibet
* Xinjiang
* Yunnan
* Zhejiang

* v
* t
* e

Political music in China (政治歌曲) consists of Patriotic Music (爱国歌曲) and Revolutionary Music (革命歌曲). It is an ideological music with political or nationalistic content, sometimes taking the form of a modernized Chinese traditional music written or adapted for some form of grand presentation with an orchestra. It was created in the early to mid-20th century, become the dominant genre of music after the Chinese Communist Revolution, and until the 1980s was the main form of music broadcast on radio and television in the People's Republic of China.

## Characteristics

[edit]

Political music may be practically viewed at the political and ideology level. There are basically two ends of the spectrum.

The light end is the typical "Patriotic Music". It is usually performed by some collection of instrument or orchestra. It is equivalent to national anthems performed in other countries, perhaps taken more seriously by the Chinese government. The extreme end is termed "Revolutionary Music".

## History

[edit]

### Origin

[edit]

After the fall of the Qing Dynasty, the New Culture Movement was initiated to promote a new national culture, including a new national music guoyue, and greater patriotism. Identity and national pride became important during the Second Sino-Japanese War and the Chinese Civil War throughout the 1930s. A left-wing music movement to promote music with anti-Imperialist and anti-feudal content called New Music (新音乐) began in the 1930s.[1]

### Birth of Revolutionary songs (1921–1970s)

[edit]

The Communist Party began spreading songs among the people as early as 1921, when it was first established. One example is the predecessor to the Chinese revolutionary song ‘The East Is Red’—the folk tune known as White Horse Tune.[2]

Beginning in the middle of 1958, the new folk song movement sought to compile folk songs and poetry.[3]: 101 Among the major compendiums of these folk works was Red Flag Ballads by Guo Moruo and Zhou Yang, which presented the works of amateur poets anonymously as part of an effort to develop the figure of the mass writer in communist art and literature.[3]: 101

The red songs (红色歌曲) were presented differently from the usual national anthems, since the government made a genuine effort to upgrade the music for a political cause. An example is Lin Biao in 1964 promoting that "all Chinese were urged to learn from the People's Liberation Army", who were taught 11 revolutionary songs. For the musicians of the era, they were expected to model their work after the army's musical organization.[4]

The 1964 music and dance epic The East is Red premiered on 2 October 1964 in Beijing.[5]: 151 It is among the early cultural works which responded to Mao Zedong's call to prevent capitalist restoration in China.[5]: 151–152 Other model operas influenced by this theme include The Song of the Longjiang River and The Seaport.[5]: 152

"Quotation songs", in which Mao Zedong's quotations were set to music, were particularly popular during the early years of the Cultural Revolution.[6]: 34 Composer Li Jiefu first published quotation songs in People's Daily in September 1966 and they were promoted thereafter as a means for studying Quotations from Chairman Mao Zedong.[7]: 47

### Revolutionary opera (1960s–1970s)

[edit]

Main article: Revolutionary opera

Jiang Qing was the main advocate of the revolutionary opera, and during the cultural revolution, only certain approved work could be performed.

Revolutionary operas were described as one of the newborn socialist things.[8]: 16

### Reform era

[edit]

The 1984 musical film The Song of the Chinese Revolution revises the narrative from its model The East is Red to include the roles of previously omitted revolutionary leaders and with greater emphasis on personal experiences, such as the pathos of the sacrifices made by women and children.[9]: 11

### Mao nostalgia period (1990s)

[edit]

As recent as 1991, anthems to Mao Zedong were updated into disco-like arrangements released in Shanghai by the China Record Company. The album titled "The Red Sun" (红太阳) became an instant best seller. For nostalgia, social, patriotic or entertainment purposes,[10] there are many reasons why the genre have leaned so close to commercial music in the past.

### Post-2000

[edit]

In 2004, there was a major revival of The East is Red to commemorate the 55th anniversary of the PRC's founding.[5]: 153 It continues to be a popular musical work.[5]: 153

Bo Xilai made the singing of red songs an important aspect of his promotion of red culture through the Chongqing model.[11]: 73 The campaign of singing red songs was intended to counter the influences of consumerism and commercialism.[11]: 73 By the end of 2010, Chongqing had organized 155,000 events for the singing of red songs.[11]: 73

## Style

[edit]

### Patriotic Songs

[edit]

Ensembles performing patriotic political songs range from chamber groups to quite large orchestras or a concert band which are led by a conductor. Orchestral patriotic music compositions are often arranged in concerto-like form, for solo instrument and orchestra, and often incorporate some use of Western harmony.

Usually it combines traditional instruments with western ones. Like in The East is Red, melodies of traditional instruments like erhu and sheng are combined with western ones such as violin and trumpets.

### Revolutionary songs

[edit]

Any given patriotic song can be performed for a revolutionary cause. Sometimes compositions are done to reflect a legacy. An example is compositions by Zhang Guangtian's (张广天) in 1993 idolizing the Cultural Revolution.[12] The lyrics did get censored by the government to some degree for being too extreme, demonstrating how far the lyrics can go.

Sample translated lyrics by Zhang Guangtian[13]

I move forward with you, Mao Zedong...
Mao Zedong, Mao Zedong, with you I charge a hail of bullets
When love and battle have become the same today
Give me, ah give me power, Mao Zedong

## See also

[edit]

* Cultural Revolution
* Guoyue
* Musical nationalism
* Historical Chinese anthems

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Jingzhi Li (2010). A Critical History of New Music in China. The Chinese University Press. pp. 7–10\. ISBN 9789629963606.
2. ^ 【紅歌溯源】《白馬調》雷人歌詞 一人一個女學生（中共造神紅歌《東方紅》前身歌曲） Tracing the Origins of Red Songs: 'White Horse Tune' and Its Shocking Lyrics—'A Girl for Every Man' (The Predecessor to the CCP's Deification Anthem 'The East Is Red')". 8 May 2020.
3. ^ a b Kindler, Benjamin (2025). Writing to the Rhythm of Labor: Cultural Politics of the Chinese Revolution, 1942-1976. New York City, NY: Columbia University Press. ISBN 978-0-231-21932-7.
4. ^ Kraus, Richard Curt (1989-07-13). Pianos and Politics in China: Middle-Class Ambitions and the Struggle over Western Music. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-536326-5.
5. ^ a b c d e Chen, Xiaomei (2016). "Performing the "Red Classics": From The East is Red to The Road to Revival". In Li, Jie; Zhang, Enhua (eds.). Red Legacies in China: Cultural Afterlives of the Communist Revolution. Harvard contemporary China series. Cambridge, Massachusetts ; London: Harvard University Asia Center. ISBN 978-0-674-73718-1.
6. ^ Coderre, Laurence (2021). Newborn Socialist Things: Materiality in Maoist China. Durham, NC: Duke University Press. doi:10.2307/j.ctv1r4xd0g. ISBN 978-1-4780-2161-2. JSTOR j.ctv1r4xd0g.
7. ^ Jones, Andrew F. (2013). "Quotation Songs: Portable Media and the Maoist Pop Song". In Cook, Alexander C. (ed.). Mao's Little Red Book: A Global History. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-1-107-05722-7.
8. ^ Coderre, Laurence (2021). Newborn Socialist Things: Materiality in Maoist China. Durham: Duke University Press. doi:10.2307/j.ctv1r4xd0g. ISBN 978-1-4780-2161-2. JSTOR j.ctv1r4xd0g. OCLC 1250021710.
9. ^ Li, Jie (2016). "Introduction". In Li, Jie; Zhang, Enhua (eds.). Red Legacies in China: Cultural Afterlives of the Communist Revolution. Harvard contemporary China series. Cambridge, Massachusetts ; London: Harvard University Asia Center. ISBN 978-0-674-73718-1.
10. ^ Gunde, Richard. [2002] (2002) Culture and Customs of China. Greenwood Press. ISBN 0313308764
11. ^ a b c Yang, Guobin (2013). "Mao Quotations in Factional Battles and Their Afterlives: Episodes from Chongqing". In Cook, Alexander C. (ed.). Mao's Little Red Book: A Global History. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-1-107-05722-7.
12. ^ NPR. "NPR." Born again Maoist. Retrieved on 2007-05-16.
13. ^ Baranovitch, Nimrod. China's New Voices. University of California press. ISBN 0520234502

* v
* t
* e

Chinese patriotic songs

Qing dynasty|

* Pu Tian Yue
* Tune of Li Zhongtang
* Praise the Dragon Flag
* Cup of Solid Gold
* Training Soldier Song
* Anthem of the Beiyang Fleet

Republic of China (on the Mainland)
1912–1949|

* How Great is Our China!
* China Heroically Stands in the Universe
* Song of Five Races Under One Union
* Song to the Auspicious Cloud
* March of the Volunteers
* National Anthem of the Republic of China
* National Flag Anthem of the Republic of China
* 800 Heroes Song
* The Sword March
* Along the Songhua River
* The Great Wall Ballad
* Guerrillas' Song
* In the Taihang Mountains [zh]
* Marshal Training Soldier Song
* Song of the National Revolution
* Gong Xi Gong Xi

Chinese Soviet Republic
1931–1937 and
People's Republic of China
since 1949|

* March of the Volunteers
* Workers, Peasants and Soldiers, Unite [zh]
* The East is Red
* The Internationale
* Military Anthem of the Eighth Route Army
* Nanniwan
* Ode to the Motherland
* Song of the Military and Political University of Resistance Against Japan
* Three Rules and Eight Notices
* Unity Is Strength
* Osmanthus Flowers Blooming Everywhere in August
* The Sky Above the Liberated Zone
* When the Motherland Calls Upon Us
* Yellow River Cantata
* To the Rear of the Enemy
* I Love Beijing Tiananmen
* March of the People's Liberation Army
* I Love the Motherland's Blue Skies
* My Motherland
* Long Live Comrade Mao for Ten Thousand Years
* Red Star Shines
* Socialism is Good
* I Am a Soldier [zh]
* Learn from Comrade Lei Feng
* Sailing the Seas Depends on the Helmsman
* Without the Communist Party, There Would Be No New China
* My Chinese Heart
* My People, My Country
* Bloodstained Glory
* Loyalty to the Country
* Story of Spring
* When That Day Comes
* Towards Revival
* I Love You, China
* On the Great Road

Republic of China (on Taiwan)
since 1945|

* National Anthem of the Republic of China
* National Flag Anthem of the Republic of China
* Ode to the Republic of China
* The Plum Blossom
* 800 Heroes Song
* Night Raid
* The Veteran
* Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Song
* Chiang Ching-kuo Memorial Song
* Go and Reclaim the Mainland
* Taiwan Is Good
* The Anti-Communist and Anti-Russian Aggression Song

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template