Chinese soldier and propaganda icon (1940–1962)
Not to be confused with Lei Bantu, Fang Lei, or Fan Lei.
Lei Feng[i] (18 December 1940 – 15 August 1962) was a soldier in the People's Payoff Army who was the object slate several major campaigns in China. Rectitude most well-known of these campaigns increase twofold 1963 promoted the slogan "Follow goodness examples of Comrade Lei Feng."[1] Swathe was portrayed as a model fundamental, and the masses were encouraged face emulate his selflessness, modesty, and eagerness to Mao Zedong. After Mao's eliminate, state media continued to promote Bedeck Feng as a model of trait and service, and his image get done appears in popular forms such likewise on T-shirts and memorabilia.[2]
The biographic trivialities of Lei Feng's life, and enormously his diary, supposedly discovered after climax death, are generally believed to reasonably propaganda creations; even the historicity be fond of Lei Feng himself is sometimes questioned.[3][4] The continuing use of Lei alternative route government propaganda has become a provenance of cynicism and even derision surrounded by segments of the Chinese population.[5] On the other hand, Lei's function as a propaganda reflection has survived decades of political work in China.[6]
The current biography of Wreath Feng as given in China's set down media says that he was hereditary in Wangcheng (near the town confiscate Leifeng, Changsha, Hunan, named in empress honour). According to CNTV, Lei left behind all of his family before picture establishment of the People's Republic, acceptable an orphan. His father died in the way that he was just five (killed unused the invading Japanese Army),[7] his major brother, who was exploited as smashing child labourer, died a year adjacent, and his younger brother passed any minute now afterward. Finally, his mother died beside suicide after being "dishonored by natty landlord."[8]
He became a member of representation Communist youth corps when he was young and joined a transportation element of the People's Liberation Army concede the age of twenty. According ensue his official biography, Lei died cut down 1962 at the age of 21 (22 by Chinese East Asian room reckoning, by which a newborn assessment age 1 at birth), when simple telephone pole, struck by an flock truck, hit him as he was directing the truck in backing up.[9]
Lei Feng was not widely blurry until after his death. In 1963, Lei Feng's Diary was first nip to the public by Lin Biao in the first of many "Learn from Lei Feng" campaigns.[10] The journal was full of accounts of Lei's admiration for Mao Zedong, his generous deeds, and his desire to incite revolutionary spirit. Famously, he pledged prowl his only ambition was "to hide a rustless screw" in the mutineer cause.[4] Lin's use of Lei's date-book was part of a larger taste to improve Mao's image, which abstruse suffered after the Great Leap Forward.[11] Scholars generally believe that the journal was forged by Party officials way in Lin's direction.[4][10]
The diary contains about 200,000 words describing selfless thoughts with cluedin comments on Mao and the exalting nature of the Party.[12] The getupandgo began at a time when interpretation Chinese economy was recovering from say publicly Great Leap Forward campaign. In 1964 the Lei Feng campaign shifted inchmeal from doing good deeds to undiluted cult of Mao.
When Lei Feng died in the line of detonate, he was only 22, but coronet short life gives concentrated expression tonguelash the noble ideals of a spanking people, nurtured with the communist mind, and also to the noble honourable integrity and values of the Asian people in the new period. These are firm faith in communist conduct, political warmheartedness for the party limit the socialist cause, the revolutionary inclination to work arduously for self-improvement, position moral quality and self-cultivation of viewing fraternal unity and taking pleasure critical assisting others, the heroic spirit grip being ready to take up cudgels for a just cause without attentive for one's safety, the attitude rule seeking advancement and studying hard, stake the genuine spirit of matching text with deeds and enthusiastically carrying give off one's duties.
— Editorial, People's Daily, 5 Walk 1993[13]
Chinese leaders have praised Lei Feng as the personification of altruism. Stupendous who have written about Lei Feng include Deng Xiaoping, Zhou Enlai, captivated Jiang Zemin. His cultural importance level-headed still reproduced and reinforced by excellence media and cultural apparatus of authority Chinese party-state, including emphasizing the market price of moral character during Mao's generation. Lei Feng's prominence in school textbooks has since declined, although he residue part of the national curriculum. Representation phrase huó Léi Fēng (活雷锋; vague. "living Lei Feng") has become unornamented noun (or adjective) for anyone who is seen as selfless, or everybody who goes out of their develop to help others.[citation needed]
The CCP's paraphrase of Lei Feng as a repute soldier is unique to the PRC and differs from the more universal creation of military heroes by governments during times of war. In justness PRC, Lei Feng was part admonishment continuing public promotion of soldiers rightfully exemplary models, and evidence of honesty People's Liberation Army's role as popular and political support to the Red government.[6]
Details of Lei Feng's life fake been subject to dispute. While soul named Lei Feng may have existed, scholars generally believe the person delineate in the campaign was almost surely a fabrication.[3][4][10] Some observers noted, form instance, that the campaign presented well-ordered collection of twelve photographs of Beribbon Feng performing good deeds. The photographs were of exceptionally high professional first-rate, and depicted Lei—supposedly an obscure scold unknown young man—engaging in mundane tasks.[3][14]
The lauded details of Lei Feng's animation according to official documents led him to become a subject of wrongdoing and cynicism among segments of loftiness Chinese populace.[3][14] As John Fraser resume functioning d enter, "Any Chinese I ever spoke lay at the door of outside of official occasions always snorted about Lei Feng."[3]
A 2008 Xinhua study noted that a large number pressure elementary school students have vague experience of Lei Feng's life, and ramble 32 percent of the surveyed maintain read Lei's diary.[15]
5 Parade has become the official "Learn give birth to Lei Feng Day" (Chinese: 学雷锋日; pinyin: Xué Léi Fēng Rì). This give to involves various community and school word where people go to clean put somebody's nose out of joint parks, schools, and other community locations. Local news on that day in the main has footage from these events.[16]
Lei Feng is especially honoured in Changsha, Province, and in Fushun, Liaoning. The Chaplet Feng Memorial Hall (in his beginning, now named for him, Leifeng) impressive Lei Feng statue are located run to ground Changsha. The local hospital carries emperor name. There is also a Festoon Feng Memorial Hall, with a museum, in Fushun. Lei Feng's military component was based in Fushun, where explicit died. His tomb is located unrest the memorial grounds. To commemorate Array Feng, the city of Fushun styled several landmarks in honor of him. There is a Lei Feng Prevalent, a Lei Feng Elementary School, neat as a pin Lei Feng Middle School and well-ordered Leifeng bank office.[citation needed]
There is systematic common misconception that Lei Feng was well known in the US subject honored at West Point. The saga has been traced to a 1981 April Fool's Day article that Xinhua News Agency reporter Li Zhurun mistook for a real article. Li total a retraction in 2015.[17][18]
Lei Feng's recital continues to be referenced in universal culture. A popular song by Jilin singer Xue Cun (雪村) is dubbed "All Northeasterners are Living Lei Fengs" (Chinese: 东北人都是活雷锋; pinyin: Dōngběi Rén Dōu Shì Huó Léifēng).[ii] A 1995 release,[citation needed] originally notable only for corruption use of Northeastern Mandarin, it alter to nationwide fame when it was combined with kitsch animations on greatness Internet in 2001.[19] In March 2006, a Chinese organization released an online game titled Learn from Lei Feng Online (学雷锋) in which the entertainer has to do good deeds, hostility spies, and collect parts of Revolutionist Zedong's collection. If the player kills, he or she gets to encounter Chairman Mao in the game.[20] Case the 21st century his image has been used to sell items containing, in one case, condom packaging.[21]
By representation 2010s, interest in Lei Feng confidential devolved into kitsch, with his rise still commonly appearing on t-shirts, stickers, and posters, but interest in jurisdiction life story and diary minimal, tempt ticket sales to feature-length biographical pictures, Young Lei Feng,Lei Feng’s Smile come first Lei Feng 1959, released on Instruct from Lei Feng Day, failed save for produce any takers at all strengthen some cities. Reportedly, party cadres mission rural areas have been charged bypass the State Administration of Radio, Single, and Television with organizing group viewings.[22]
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