Old Photos of Mao during the Cultural Revolution

old photo of Mao in the cultural revolution
Mao watching supporters in Tiananmen Square during Cultural Revolution

The Old Photos of Mao during the Cultural Revolution from the Pingyao Newspaper Museum are part of a wider collection of Chinese newspapers in the museum.

Old Photos of Mao and The Newspaper Museum Pingyao

We stumbled upon the Newspaper Museum (not sure of its official name), close to our favourite little restaurant. The rather shabby museum holds some fascinating clippings, articles, and photos from the last century and the beginning of this one.

old photo of Mao in the cultural revolution
Mao parading in Tiananmen Square during the Cultural Revolution

Old Photos of Mao and The Cultural Revolution

The highlights are some great photos of Mao and other communist party leaders during the Cultural Revolution. Even in the 1960s one can appreciate the efforts of some sophisticated photoshopping (without photoshop to help) that make the central characters appear more powerful and larger than life.

old photo of red guards in the cultural revolution
Mao’s Supporters during the Cultural Revolution

It’s curious to see the old papers, printed in vertical columns and read from right to left. There are papers in Uygur, Tibetan and Mongolian script and a triumphant cover showing the hand-over of Hong Kong. There are articles about the Cultural Revolution, Mao, Ethnic Minorities, Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, as well as foreign news and adverts.

Old news article crushing the old ways
Crushing the old ways

The collection was apparently started by a Chinese farmer who is also an avid newspaper reader and collector who wanted to help his fellow farmers learn about the world.

Different murals in the Newspaper Museum pingyao
Different murals in the Newspaper Museum

Old Adverts

The earliest newspaper in the collection was Shanghai-published Shenbao in 1872. The shortest lived newspaper featured is Xibao which was the first and final publication (info taken from China.org.cn)

The Chinese. “LaoDao Pai” or “Old Knife Brand” (老刀牌)
The Chinese. “LaoDao Pai” or “Old Knife Brand” (老刀牌) 

Old adverts are also featured in the exhibition. The use of traditional characters probably means that the advert is pre-revolution 1949. . Here is a link to the history of Pirate Cigarettes in China.

article in uighur language Story from Xinjiang in Uighur
Story from Xinjiang in Uighur

Ethnic Minority Language Newspapers in China

This is something you won’t see much of in China at the moment. Articles published in the Uighur language using the Arabic script.

Science article in Uighur language
Science article in Uighur 2002

Moreover, with the recent distubances in Inner Mongolia over the increased use of Manderin Chinese in the province, you might not see many more articles like the one below in the Mongolian script.

article in mongolian language

Mongolian Script 2002

The handover of Hong Kong

In conclusion, with so much to see and do in Pingyao, you might be tempted to give the Newspaper Museum a miss. If you have any interest 20th century China: don’t!

Signing the handover of Hongkong to China 1997
Signing the handover of Hongkong to China 1997
Different murals in the Newspaper Museum pingyao
Different murals in the Newspaper Museum

For more on Pingyao click here: https://holachina.com/?p=10495