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A Quotation From Chairman Mao Tse-tungThe world is yours, as well as ours, but in the last analysis, it is yours. You young people, full of vigour and vitality, are in the prime of life, like the sun at eight or nine in the morning. All hopes are placed on you. "A Talk With Chinese Students Studying |
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[This article is reprinted from Peking Review, Vol. 9, #39, Sept. 23,
1966, pp. 5-9. Thanks are due to the WWW.WENGEWANG.ORG
web site for some of the work done for this posting.]
Comrade Lin Piao emphatically pointed out at the rally: To bombard the headquarters is to bombard the handful of persons in power who are taking the capitalist road. The handful of reactionary bourgeois elements, and those belonging to the five categories of landlords, rich peasants, counter-revolutionaries, bad elements and Rightists who have not really turned over a new leaf, are trying to bombard our headquarters of the proletarian revolution. We must smash the plots of these ghosts and monsters, we must see through them, we must not let their schemes succeed. Comrade Chou En-lai said: We must take a firm hold of the revolution with one hand and spur production on with the other so as to ensure victory in both the cultural revolution and in industrial and agricultural production.
IN the afternoon of September 15, in the centre of the great proletarian cultural revolution—the capital of our great motherland, in magnificent Tien An Men Square, Chairman Mao Tse-tung, our great leader, great teacher, great supreme commander and great helmsman, once again received a million Red Guards and revolutionary students and teachers from all parts of the country and the capital.
On that day a clear sky hung over Peking. From early morning young revolutionary fighters of colleges and middle schools in the provinces, municipality and autonomous regions of the nation and of the capital in high spirits converged from all directions on Tien An Men Square and the broad East and West Changan Boulevards. They held aloft portraits of Chairman Mao, placards bearing quotations from Chairman Mao and countless red banners. Red Hags fluttered in the square; songs were sung one after another filled with revolutionary vigour. A million ardent hearts beat with excitement and a million pairs of eyes looked up to the Tien An Men rostrum with deep feeling, eagerly waiting for that happiest of moments to arrive.
At 5:15 p.m. our great leader Chairman Mao, his close comrade-in-arms Comrade Lin Piao and other leading members of the Central Committee of the Party Chou En-lai, Tao Chu, Chen Po-ta, Teng Hsiao-ping, Kang Sheng, Liu Shao-chi, Chu Teh, Li Fu-chun, Chen Yun, Tung Pi-wu, Chen Yi, Liu Po-cheng, Ho Lung, Li Hsien-nien, Tan Chen-lin, Hsu Hsiang-chien, Nieh Jung-chen, Yeh Chien-ying, Li Hsueh-feng and Hsieh Fu-chih mounted the rostrum of Tien An Men to the strains of The East is Red. At that moment the whole square surged with motion. A million pairs of hands again and again held high the red-covered Quotations From Chairman Mao, and under the brilliant sunshine it seemed as if a sea of red waves flowed over the square. For many minutes cheers of “Long live Chairman Mao!” and “Long live, long live Chairman Mao!” rang out and shook the skies of the capital.
More than 300 representatives of the revolutionary students from all parts of the nation also mounted the Tien An Men rostrum. On all sides of Chairman Mao they cheered and jumped in joyous excitement.
Ten thousand revolutionary students and teachers of the military colleges of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army joined the heroic Red Guards to be reviewed by the great supreme commander Chairman Mao.
Comrade Kang Sheng, Member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party and adviser to the Cultural Revolution Group under the Party’s Central Committee, declared the rally open. He said: On behalf of the Cultural Revolution Group of the Party’s Central Committee. I welcome you, greet you and give the militant salutations of the proletarian cultural revolution to you and through you to the revolutionary students, teachers, workers and staffs of all the schools in the country! He added: Our great leader Chairman Mao will receive us, let us cheer: “Long live the invincible thought of Mao Tse-tung! Long live Chairman Mao!”
Amid stormy applause, Comrade Lin Piao spoke to the revolutionary students and teachers and Red Guard fighters who had come to Peking from all parts of the country. {For full text of speech see p. 10.)
Comrade Chou En-lai then spoke. (Full text on P- 12.)
In their speeches, representatives of the capital’s Red Guards gave a warm welcome to their revolutionary comrade-in-arms who had come from other parts of the country, and declared that in the great cultural revolution they and the latter would support each other, help each other and learn from each other in a still better way.
Representatives of the revolutionary students from north China, the southwest, east China, the northeast, the northwest and the central south spoke at the rally. They said:
“Our wish to see our great leader Chairman Mao which we have cherished for a very long time is finally realized today. This is our greatest happiness.”
“Our people of all nationalities always have the warmest love for Chairman Mao, always follow his teachings, always follow him to make revolution, and will never forget that greatest concern which the great Chinese Communist Party and our most respected and beloved leader Chairman Mao show for us.”
“We are the young generation of the revolution and sons and daughters of the people, and we will temper ourselves and mature in the big storms of class struggle. We will be for ever loyal to Chairman Mao, to Mao Tse-tung’s thought, to the Party and to the people. Great leader Chairman Mao! We will certainly follow you, marching forward in the teeth of big storms, learn to swim by swimming and learn to make revolution in carrying on the revolution. We pledge ourselves to be a generation of pathbreakers who dare to struggle and make revolution and are adept at waging struggles and making revolution!”
“We will surely raise high the great red banner of Mao Tse-tung’s thought; we are determined to carry back with us Peking’s experience in revolutionary struggle, do everything according to Chairman Mao’s directives and the 16-point decision [of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party concerning the great proletarian cultural revolution], carry forward the revolutionary rebel spirit of the proletariat, resolutely overthrow those persons in power who are taking the capitalist road, sweep away all ghosts and monsters, do a good job in the great proletarian cultural revolution of our own localities and thoroughly dig out the root of revisionism.”
After these speeches were delivered at the rally, Chairman Mao walked to the eastern and western ends of the Tien An Men rostrum amid enthusiastic cheers from the crowd to whom he waved continually. On the east and west platforms of the rostrum, he received more than 300 representatives of revolutionary students from all parts of China and had pictures taken together with them.
After dark, lights went on at the Tien An Men rostrum and in the square. The hundreds of thousands of revolutionary students who had originally occupied places in the Tien An Men Square moved to the south in perfect order under the orders of the rally organisers, so that the several hundred thousand young revolutionary fighters on both flanks of the square, who were eager to see Chairman Mao, could move into the square.
At 8:30 p.m. our great leader Chairman Mao, his close comrade-in-arms Comrade Lin Piao and other leading comrades of the Party’s Central Committee again appeared on the rostrum of Tien An Men. Chairman Mao waved continually to the crowd of revolutionary students and teachers. Amid thunderous applause and cheers, Chairman Mao, Comrade Lin Piao and other leading comrades of the Party’s Central Committee walked again to the east and west ends of the Tien An Men rostrum and once more met the young revolutionary fighters. At that moment, cheers of “Long live the great leader Chairman Mao! Long live, long live the great leader Chairman Mao!” reverberated in the capital’s night sky. The square presented a festive sight. A million young revolutionary fighters breathed an atmosphere of boundless joy and happiness.
E.F. Hill, Chairman of the Australian Communist Party (Marxist-Leninist), and his wife Joyce Hill, now visiting China, had been invited to attend the rally and Chairman Mao greeted them cordially on the Tien An Men rostrum.
Other leading people present at the rally were: Liu Ning-I, Hsiao Hua, Yang Cheng-wu, Chiang Ching, Wang Jen-chung, Wu Teh, Tsai Chang, Teng Ying-chao, Liao Cheng-chih, Chang Ting-cheng. Hsiao Ching-kuang, Su Yu, Teng Tzu-hui, Chang Yun-yi, Liu Hsiao, Yang Hsiu-feng, Wu Hsiu-chuan, Chien Ying, Hsu Kuang-ta, Tseng Shan, Hsu Hai-tung, Chao Erh-lu, Lu Cheng-tsao, Wang Shu-sheng. Chang Ching-wu, Yang Yung, Chang Tsung-hsun, Li Tao, Chen Chi-han, Chen Man-yuan, Li Chih-min, Liu Lan-po, Su Chen-hua, Chang Lin-chih, Liao Han-sheng, Hsu Ping, Sung Shih-lun, Chung Chi-kuang, Chen Cheng-jen, Tao Lu-chia, Liu Chien-hsun, Chao Yi-min, Kung Yuan, Fang Yi, Sun Chih-yuan, Chang Ai-ping, Yao Yi-lin, Peng Shao-hui, Wang Hsin-ting. Liu Chih-chien, Hsu Li-ching, Yuan Tzu-chin, Chou Shih-ti, Chu Liang-tsai, Chiu Hui-tso, Chang Chih-ming, Wu Fa-hsien, Yu Li-chin, Li Chu-kuei, Kuo Tien-min, Chung Chih-ping, Lo Shun-chu, Wu Keh-hua, Chen Jen-chi, Huang Chih-yung, Chen Shih-chu, Li Tien-huan, Tan Fu-jen, Li Shou-hsuan, Tsui Tien-min, Tsai Shun-li, Kung Shih-chuan, Li Tso-peng, Chiang Wen, Chen Ho-chiao, Li Chen, Cheng Wei-shan, Fu Chung-pi, Huang Tso-chen, Hu Chih, Chang Chun-chiao, Hsieh Tang-chung, Wang Li, Kuan Feng, Chi Pen-yu, Mu Hsin, Yao Wen-yuan, Kuo Mo-jo, Ho Hsiang-ning, Yang Ming-hsuan, Cheng Chien, Chang Chih-chung, Chou Jung-hsin, Yu Chiu-li, Ku Mu, Chiang Yi-chen, Liu Wen-hui, Lu Tung, Hsu Chin-chiang, Tuan Chun-yi, Liu Chieh, Wang Cheng, Chiu Chuang-cheng, Fang Chiang, Wang Ping-chang, Li Ssu-kuang, Kang Shih-en, Liu Yu-min, Lai Chi-fa, Chiang Kuang-nai, Chien Chih-kuang, Hsu Yun-pei, Sun Ta-kuang, Chu Hsueh-fan, Fu Tso-yi, Yuan Pao-hua, Sha Chien-li, Lin Hai-yun, Hsu Teh-heng, Hsiao Wang-tung, Ho Wei, Chang Hsi-jo, Hsieh Fu-min, Jung Kao-tang, Hu Li-chiao, Wang Tung-hsing, Tseng Ti, Hsieh Yu-fa, Wang Ping, Chin Hua-lung, Hsiung Fu, Tang Ping-chu, Ting Lai-fu, Ma Chun-ku, Wang Tao-yi, Yang Chi-ching, Li Chen, Yu Sang, Chao Hsin-chu, Tung Hsiao-peng, Kao Chung-min, Tsai Ting-kai, Shen Yen-ping, Li Chu-chen, Hsieh Hsueh-kung, Su Chien-yi, Yung Wen-tao, Kao Yang-wen and Ma Li.
That our most respected and beloved great leader Chairman Mao had once again, on September 15, received a million young revolutionary fighters in the capital has given the greatest inspiration and fighting strength to the broad masses of workers, peasants and soldiers, revolutionary intellectuals and revolutionary cadres in every part of the country. The happy news was acclaimed by the whole nation. With the happiest and most ardent feelings, hundreds of millions of the revolutionary masses belonging to different nationalities pledged their word to Chairman Mao and the Party’s Central Committee that they would resolutely carry out the 16 Points formulated under the direction of Chairman Mao, firmly grasp the main orientation of struggle, continue to march forward victoriously under circumstances which are increasingly favourable for the revolution, greet the new upsurges in the great proletarian cultural revolution and in socialist construction, and win new victories in the cultural revolution and in production and construction.
In the morning of September 16, thunderous cheers were heard in many cities as people listened to the recorded broadcast of the mass rally of the previous day. They sang, danced, held rallies and parades to celebrate the occasion. There were festive scenes everywhere. Workers, peasants and soldiers and revolutionary students and teachers in huge numbers attended discussions where they said in great excitement: “This is the third time in less than a month that our great leader, great teacher, great supreme commander and great helmsman Chairman Mao has met Red Guards and revolutionary students and teachers of Peking and from other parts of the country. This shows his deepest concern for the revolutionary masses and is the greatest inspiration to us. Under the leadership of Chairman Mao the great proletarian cultural revolution in our country has been rolling forward wave on wave, each higher than the one before, and the situation is getting better and better. This is a big victory won by following Chairman Mao’s teaching of firmly grasping the main orientation of struggle. In his speech Comrade Lin Piao pointed out that ‘to bombard the headquarters is to bombard the handful of persons in power who are taking the capitalist read.’ We will surely ‘site the guns correctly, aim accurately, and pound the target hard,’ make better efforts to study and apply the 16 Points in the course of waging the struggle, and resolutely carry the great proletarian cultural revolution through to the end.”
When commanders and fighters of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army heard the happy news that Chairman Mao had once again received Red Guards and revolutionary students and teachers, they expressed their unanimous determination: Under the brilliant leadership and direction of the great supreme commander Chairman Mao, we will resolutely unite closely with the young Red Guard fighters and the revolutionary students and teachers, use the 16 Points as our weapon to carry the great proletarian cultural revolution through to the end, and will never stop fighting until complete victory is won.
The broad masses of workers and staff members in Peking, Shanghai, Shenyang, Kwangchow (Canton), Chengtu, Sian, Harbin, Changchun, Wuhan, Nanning, Urumchi, Sining, Yinchuan and other places who shoulder big and glorious tasks in the great cultural revolution were inspired by the happy news that Chairman Mao had once again received the young revolutionary fighters. In discussion meetings or in written pledges they declared with enthusiasm: Under the brilliant banner of the invincible thought of Mao Tse-tung, we will take the 16-point decision as the key, grasp the revolution with one hand and production with the other, play our role well as the main force of revolution and construction, lightly grasp the main orientation of struggle and march from victory to victory!
Now the busy autumn harvest season has set in. In response to the great call of Chairman Mao and the Central Committee of the Party, Red Guards and revolutionary students and teachers from colleges and middle schools in every part of the country have gone to the frontlines of farm production to work and help with the autumn harvest.
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