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May 4Th Library Exhibition Final.Indd China’s Revolution in Politics, Literature, Feminism Commemorating the Centenary of the May Fourth Movement 1919 – 2019 April – May, 2019 Hamilton Library Asia Collection 4th Floor Presented by the Asia Collection & UH Department of History Sponsored by the Center for Chinese Studies & the Confucius Institute at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa Introduction to the May Fourth Movement he Qing Dynasty was overthrown was caused by both external and internal fac- Th is movement was further galvanized by in 1911. Th e end of the imperial era tors. China had been targeted by imperialist large public protests on May 4, 1919, which led to a dynamic but also politically, powers for decades, and, despite its large size, were held in response to the unfavorable terms Tsocially, and culturally unstable era. Rather had a relatively weak diplomatic positions vis- of the Treaty of Versailles that ended World than leading to an enduring liberal political à-vis the West and Japan. Internally, China’s War I. Th e May Fourth Movement (or New system, the 1911 Revolution inaugurated an economy, social system, and cultural values Culture Movement) which began in 1919 grew era of alternate military dictatorship and weak were criticized as holding China back from to encompass a variety of rallying cries, among national leadership that experienced confl ict modernization and national strength. Hence them education, the embrace of science and with its own provincial governments. China’s the call to create a “new culture” that could social progress, popular literacy, socialism, intellectuals and public leaders argued that kick-start China’s overall development. feminism, and democracy. China’s failure to modernize more successfully Political Context of the May Fourth Movement he May 1919 demonstrations had many During World War I (1914–1918) China News of these events arrived in China in late points of inspiration, but the most joined the Allied side and sent some 140,000 April. On May 2, an editorial was published in a immediate context was the political non-combatants to support the war effort in large-circulation liberal newspaper announcing Tsituation in China following the implementa- France. In 1915, Japan, which had stationed the disaster. On May 4, concerned students from tion of unequal treaties. Beginning with the first over 50,000 troops in Northeastern China, com- thirteen Beijing universities came together and Opium War of 1842, China was forced under pelled China to agree to a new unequal treaty, issued a declaration that “China’s territory may threat of military invasion and potential colo- the so-called 21 Demands, which included the be conquered but it cannot be given away. The nization to sign a series of unfavorable treaties transfer of German concessions in Shandong Chinese people may be massacred but they will with Western nations, including Great Britain, to Japan. The leadership of China at that time not surrender.” Some 4,000 students, includ- France, Germany, Italy, the United States, and agreed to most of the demands, including the ing many women, gathered that day in central Japan. These treaties gave extraterritorial juris- right of Japan to receive German territories. Beijing, in front of the southern entrance to diction for foreigners in China, and gave foreign During the Spring 1919 peace negotiations after the imperial city called Tiananmen, the ‘Gate governments control over profitable and strate- the end of World War I, Chinese delegates to of Heavenly Peace.’ They carried banners read- gically important railroads, mines, and commu- the peace talks lobbied their victorious allies to ing “Do away with the ‘Twenty-One Demands,’” nications infrastructure. Foreign governments regain sovereignty in Shandong. The Allied pow- and “Don’t sign the Versailles Treaty.” Students were also given the right to establish territorial ers backed Japan’s claims and in fact extended were beaten and arrested by police. Soon after, concessions in Shanghai and Tianjin. Germany Japan’s rights to include control over railway people in cities across China launched sympa- by treaty was given the right to a 99-year lease lines in North China and right to Shandong in thy protests, demanding that the Chinese gov- of the coastal province of Shandong. perpetuity. ernment free imprisoned Beijing students and take action against imperialism, social conser- vatism, and autocracy. Intellectual Currents of May Fourth he May Fourth intellectuals promoted cal experts. (Song Qingling’s maternal uncle, helped found the League of Nations and science and democracy, women’s suf- Linson Edward Dzau or Cao Linsheng, 曹霖 the United Nations, and was a judge on the frage and equality, economic rights 生, 1895–1978, was also a member of the del- International Court of Justice in The Hague. No Tfor China’s poor majority, and the promotion egation as a secretary.) Five plenipotentiary formal instructions were given to the Chinese of a new literary language, based on vernac- delegates were authorized to sign on behalf of delegation as to whether they should endorse ular speech, that would allow greater literacy China’s government. Other well-known intel- the treaty. Ultimately they all refused to sign, and spread of progressive political ideals. lectuals like Liang Qichao (梁啟超, 1873–1929) earning them wide public support from indi- were also present in Paris and communicated viduals and civic institutions in China who The proponents of the New Culture saw news of the negotiations to friends and jour- praised their patriotism. education and social progress as crucial rem- nalists in China. Indeed, it was Liang Qichao edies to China’s diplomatic weakness and Below is a telegram to the Chinese govern- who relayed to China news of the disappoint- endemic poverty. Their goal was to strengthen ment, via the Chinese embassy in Washington ing Shandong negotiations; his bulletins were China’s economy, social fabric, and interna- D.C., from American advisor to China John the basis for the May 2 essay that launched the tional standing through programs of pub- Calvin Ferguson (Chinese name 福開森, May 4 demonstrations. lic education. They hoped to engage China’s 1866–1945), former president of both Nanjing masses through easily accessible texts and dra- The official delegation was led by China’s University and Nanyang University in Shanghai. matic graphic design. Minister of Foreign Affairs, Lu Zhengxiang During the negotiations, Ferguson updated the (陸征祥, 1871–1949), and had as its spokes- Chinese government regarding the position of The Chinese delegation to the Paris person Wellington Koo (Gu Weijun 顧維鈞, U.S. officials as well as American public opin- Peace Conference included over sixty mem- 1888–1985), who later served as Ambassador ion, which was generally supportive of China’s bers, including military officers and techni- to France, Great Britain and the United States, position regarding Shandong. May Fourth and the Periodical Press he first modern Chinese periodical was first General Secretary until 1927. In 1915, Chen for May Fourth protestors, who colloquially wel- started in 1864 in Hong Kong, with a started the magazine New Youth (Xin Qingnian 新 comed “Mr. Democracy and Mr. Science” 德先 two other publications established in 靑年 or La Jeunesse), which was published until 生和賽先生 to China. TShanghai in the 1870s. Further growth in Chinese the Nationalist Government closed it in 1926. Other progressive periodicals of the era periodicals occurred after the Sino-Japanese War In addition to Chen, editors of the magazine include The Renaissance (Xinchao 新潮), pub- of 1894–95, when Chinese intellectuals estab- included some of the most famous intellectuals lished starting in 1918 by The Renaissance Society, lished journals to promote political and social of the era, including philosopher and diplomat whose members were Beijing students inspired reform, such as reformer Liang Qichao’s Shibao Hu Shih (胡適, 1891–1962), fellow CCP founder by Hu Shih, Li Dazhao, and other progressives. 時報, founded in Shanghai in 1904. The period- Li Dazhao (李大釗, 1889–1927), and modernist The Renaissance articles promoted Western polit- ical press that emerged during the May Fourth fiction writer Lu Xun (鲁迅, 1881–1936). New ical and social thought and encouraged China’s movement continued to showcase political, Youth is one of the most influential and represen- young people to embrace progressive politics. social, and literary concerns, including women’s tative publications of the May Fourth Movement. rights and political reform. Magazines dedicated to women’s issues In its first issue, Chen Duxiu published “Letter were also popular and gained wide reader- When the May Fourth movement began, a to Youth” (Jinggao qingnian 敬告青年), which ship. Numerous other magazines also focused number of new publications were instrumental encouraged young people to “be independent on a women’s readership and highlighted fem- in helping intellectuals communicate messages and not enslaved, be progressive and not conser- inist issues, like Jiefang huabao 解放画报 of political, social, and cultural change. One of vative, be in the forefront and not lagging behind, (Emancipation pictorial), an explicitly feminist the most well-known intellectuals of the era was be internationalist and not isolationist, be prac- magazine, whose inaugural issue was published the progressive educator and author Chen Duxiu tical and not rhetorical, and be scientific and not on May 4, 1920, to commemorate the May Fourth (陳獨秀, 1879–1942), who in 1921 cofounded superstitious.” Chen Duxiu’s advocacy of both demonstrations. the Chinese Communist Party and served as its science and democracy was soon a rallying cry The Vernacular Literature Movement n their efforts to reach a broad public, May collection Call to Arms (Nahan 呐喊). The col- blamed them for China’s supposed conservatism Fourth intellectuals promoted vernacular lection included Lu Xun’s masterpiece “The True and lack of technological progress. In 1923, Qian literature or baihua wenxue 白話文學.
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