Yesterday was the 91st anniversary of the hallowed May 4th Movement, which according to the government-backed version of history, marks a significant transition point of Chinese revolution: Gone was “old democratic revolution”; in came the “new democratic revolution”.
In 1949, following the establishment of PRC, May 4 was proclaimed China’s Youth Day. Today’s Southern Metropolis Daily runs a story on the front page reporting on Premier Wen Jiabao’s visit to Peking University (also called PKU and Beida). The university was a hotbed for progressive ideas at that time and its students played an active role in what started as a small-scale protest against the Versailles treaty’s failure to acknowledge China’s status and eventually evolved into a nationwide outrage towards the unpopular Beiyang junta that was controlling China.
According to the report, after the Premier had lunch with the students, they exchanged calligraphy works: the students sent the Premier four characters “仰望星空” meaning “look at the starry heavens”, a reference borrowed from Wen’s favorite Kant quote “Two things fill me with constantly increasing admiration and awe, the starry heavens without and the moral law within.” To this the Premier replied with another four characters “脚踏实地” which means “stand on solid ground”.
The big image shows a policeman standing guard outside an elementary school in Guangzhou. In the aftermath of a series of macabre mass murder cases targeting young students, schools around the country have firmed up their security measures.
- Southern Metropolis Daily (Chinese): Wen Jiabao dinned with Beida students
- Wikipedia: May 4th Movement, Beiyang government