Is it just me or does it seem like the spirit of Madame Mao is alive and kicking in China these days?
In the excitement of the 100th anniversary of Double Ten, the Beijing debut of an opera titled Dr. Sun Yat-sen was suddenly cancelled last month. Instead it premiered in Hong Kong last week and will likely not be performed much outside the former colony.
Written by Chinese-American Huang Ruo, Dr. Sun Yat-sen portrayed the sweeping romance between Sun–the father of modern China–and Soong Ching-ling, 26 years his junior. Sun was married when he met Soong Ching-ling and didn’t divorce his first wife after he married Soong.
Some wonder if the leadership in Beijing frowned upon this relationship and canceled the production because of it. No matter the reason, the very idea that the Chinese government would abort an opera celebrating the birth of modern China makes me think about Madame Mao, the champion of arts censorship and control during the Cultural Revolution.
Madame Mao was born Li Shumeng. In elementary school she changed her name to Li Yunhe. Later as an actress in Shanghai in the decadent 1930s, she went by Lan Ping.
By the time she met and married Mao, she was called Jiang Qing and had had a couple marriages, even more affairs, and was also significantly younger than Mao (she was in her 20s, he in his mid-40s). Sound familiar?
Jiang Qing won’t be remembered for her relationships, but rather her tight control over the arts in China during the Cultural Revolution. Film, opera, theater, and ballet all adhered to Jiang Qing’s revolutionary zeal.
China has transformed since the dark days of Madame Mao, so when it exerts this kind of censorship I can’t help but wonder if Jiang Qing has had the last laugh.
I don’t much about what is happening in Chinese culture today, but nothing about it could even be remotely to what is was like in Jiang Qing’s heyday. As well it’s important to appreciate the context in which she emerged and whose bidding she did. As she stated at her trial she was definitely Mao’s dog and bit whomever the Chairman wanted bit. My two cents!
Thanks, Carl. Yes, things are definitely not horrible as they were back then. It’s always important to keep things in perspective. I just wish artists had more freedom in China. It seems like businesspeople are free to do what they please!
This is a fascinating post, Susan. I am so intrigued!
I’ll just say again how much I’m enjoying your blog!
Amy
Thank you so much, Amy! I’m so glad you’ve joined the Authors of Asian Novels group!!
Very interesting stories about the two young women. Didn’t know that yuou have a blog about China, th esubject of my novel, so happy to stay here for awhile and read.
Thanks so much, Giora! I just found your website and love it! Your novel sounds great!! My memoir takes place in Hong Kong, China, and the US, and I’m quite interested in a wide range of topics relating to Chinese culture and history. Thanks for stopping by!!
Thanks Susan, for joining my website. I was looking to join yours, but don’t see where. My website site is not active. I just post once every two months to keep it alive till my book will get published. I read a little about your life story, living in HK and marrying a Chinese man. Unlike you, I wrote my novel without being in China, but was living for many years with a woman from HK. Have you been to Sichuan? Like the concept of your book about tea places in Chicago. You can extend it to every major city in the US and at least to Toronto and Vancouver in Canada. Best wishes with having your Memoir fidning a publisher.
Thank you! I think you can click on the envelope on the top right where it says follow me on e-mail. I’m sure you learned a ton about Chinese culture from your HK girlfriend. Sometimes I’m convinced that HK is more traditional than China. I have been to Chongqing, but it was in 1995. I love the food there! Funny you mentioned Vancouver. I was just there in September and found the most wonderful tea shop on Granville Island. I think I’m going to buy my tea from them from now on! Thanks for your kind wishes!
Thanks so much for your comment! I love discussing this stuff! Your assessment sounds accurate, and I can see how the party wants to preserve this wholesome image. Perhaps I should have titled this post “The Hypocracy of Madame Mao”? It wasn’t all right for Sun Yat-sen to have an extramarital relationship, but when it came to Mao it didn’t matter!
I think the reason of the censure is not primarily Jiang Qing, but rather that clandestine affairs and mistresses and the like are a sensitive subject in China even now. The party guide lines mention explicitely that it is forbidden for cadres and officials to have mistresses, but they all have, and there is a thriving business connected to having women outside marriage. What’s more those cadres see the lives of Mao and other dead party members with their mistresses as an example or justification for their behaviour.