Model Works During the Cultural Revolution - Ideas, History, and Modern China by Qingyan Zhang Hardcover

About the Book

From the heart of Mao and Jiang Qing's world, this book traces the tempest of the Cultural Revolution, where Model Works staged the revolution--echoing across decades to shape China's spirit and its voice on the world stage.

Book Synopsis

This book offers a groundbreaking exploration of China's Cultural Revolution through the lens of the Model Works, revealing their intricate fusion of politics, art, and ideology. From Mao's diplomatic maneuvers to the enduring legacy of revolutionary opera, it traces how artistic innovation became a vehicle for cultural transformation and global strategy. Rich in historical detail, it illuminates the creative genius of figures like Yu Huiyong, the political theater of Jiang Qing, and the post-revolution commodification of socialist culture. Both a cultural history and a meditation on revolution's unfinished mission, it challenges readers to rethink the intersections of arts and politics.

About the Author

Zhang Qingyan, Ph.D. (2017) in Chinese Literature, Tsinghua University, is Professor of Dramatic Literature at Central Academy of Drama. She has published monograph and articles on twentieth-century arts and literature, including Model Works: The Cultural Revolution and Its Latest Form (Taiwan: Renjian Publishing House, 2021).