China’s Millennial Generation

Robert L. MooreRollins College

UCF LIFE PresentationFebruary 18, 2014

The May Fourth Movement, 1919 – inspired by patriotism

May Fourth Poster

Tiananmen Square: Monument to the People’s Heroes

On the Monument: May fourth student Protestors

May Fourth Author – Ba Jin

Family , a novel by Ba Jin

1966: Political Discourse by Allegory

“Hai Rui Dismissed from Office” a play by Wu Han

(Obliquely referencing Peng Dehuai’s dismissal by Chairman Mao, 1959)

1966-76: Cultural Revolution

Youth to the Countryside in the 1970s

Deng xiaoping &the New reforms – Circa 1980

Hu yaobang – leading liberal

1989 Tiananmen Square: Students at the Monument

The June Four Incident, 1989

june four incident – tank man

Zhao ziyang – doomed liberal

Rock star: cui jian

Post - 1989

the prc government re-emphasizes dedication to the party’s authority.

Dissent is suppressed while economic reforms continue.

Qingdao University Students 1993 (Six in one dorm Room)

Qingdao U. students washing their dishes

National minorities: Mosuo youth

Central university of nationalities -2012

CUN – Graduation day, 2008

Rural life – peasant ladies

The Chinese family: “Take my child’s picture – please!”

Peasant family lad

Patrilineal family

Religion in china

Muslim wedding

Christian wedding

Beijing high school - 2008

“The Test” - Parents waiting for their children’s results

A favorite pastime: internet games

Young people’s T-shirts“Do you marry me?”

Irony: socialist style on a contemporary t-shirt

199os: Individualism

Generation KU …

酷& The rise of The Internet

Wang shuo and “liumang” literature

Beijing bad boy - 2007

AnthropologY – fieldwork in Beijing

East meets west - tattoos

Beijing disco

Hipster bar – “the bed”

Post-Mao China - Allegory

“Raise the Red Lantern,” a film by Zhang Yimou (1991)

Zhang Yimou film of 1991 Referencing June 4, 1989

Voices of Youthful Protest -Where Are They Now?

Following the violent crackdown of June 4, 1989, political dissent declined

…but now new voices are being heard via social media.

Social Media in China

Renren – China’s Facebook

Weibo – China’s Twitter

BBS – Chatrooms

Baidu – China’s Google & Wikipedia

Blogs

Contemporary Satire: Cartoon protest

Judge Bao: Upright Official

Corruption

government is failing to “provide for and protect the people.”

Traditional terms for upright officials (Lianjie 廉洁 ), and corrupt officials (Tanguan Wuli (贪官 污吏 ) are still used to describe Communist Party cadres.

The long march: Eating Shoes

During the heroic Long March battered communist forces trudged for thousands of miles across China fleeing from Nationalist forces. Some soldiers reportedly survived by eating shoe leather. Some generous soldiers were said to have given their shoes to their comrades, thus consigning themselves to starvation.

Contemporary Satire on Eating Shoes

Cao ni ma: Indirect invective

Cao ni ma t-shirt

Cao ni ma mug

Ai weiwei – artist protestor with a message

“He xie” – Double entendre

River crab with three watches

Tsinghua University - patriotic Olympic helpers