Cultural change: attacks on traditional culture in towns and countryside;…

The idea

After 1949 the CCP sought to replace traditional culture with socialist culture. Attacks on traditional culture occurred in towns and countryside: temples, ancestral halls, shrines, festivals, operas, novels and family rituals were denounced as feudal or bourgeois. During the Cultural Revolution Red Guards destroyed cultural relics and persecuted intellectuals. Jiang Qing, Mao's wife, shaped cultural policy from the 1960s. She supervised the creation of revolutionary model operas and ballets, and controlled film, literature and art. Revolutionary art and culture were imposed through propaganda teams, schools, work units and the media.

What earns the marks

• Explains that attacks on traditional culture targeted both urban and rural settings, including temples, shrines, ancestral halls, festivals, operas, novels and family rituals.
• Describes the role of Jiang Qing in directing cultural policy, including her supervision of revolutionary model operas and ballets and her influence over film, literature and art.
• Explains how revolutionary art and culture were imposed through propaganda teams, schools, work units, the media and campaigns such as the 'Four Olds'.
• Uses specific examples, such as the eight model operas, the destruction of cultural relics, and the persecution of intellectuals, to support analysis.
• Analyses the impact of these changes on different groups, including urban and rural populations, intellectuals, artists and young people.
• Evaluates the extent to which cultural change was driven by Mao, Jiang Qing or wider Party and social forces.

Common mistakes and how to put them right

• Treating attacks on traditional culture as only an urban phenomenon.

  Put it right: Recognise that rural areas also experienced attacks on temples, ancestral halls, festivals and rituals.

• Presenting Jiang Qing as solely responsible for all cultural change.

  Put it right: Explain that she was a key figure but operated within Mao's broader political and ideological campaign.

• Describing revolutionary art as merely propaganda without explaining its content or imposition.

  Put it right: Give specific examples, such as the model operas, and explain how they were promoted through schools, work units and the media.

Exam tips

• Plan answers around the three clauses: attacks on traditional culture, Jiang Qing's role, and imposition of revolutionary art and culture.
• Use precise examples, such as the eight model operas or the 'Four Olds' campaign, to support each point.
• When evaluating significance, compare the effects on towns and countryside and consider different groups, such as intellectuals, workers and peasants.