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Arts & Communication Lianhuanhua during Mao’s era

a component of the national postal system, facilitated the era. The total circulation of the lianhuanhua version of Ji
delivery of not only letters and parcels but also newspapers, Mao Xin eventually reached one million copies. Mr. Yao
periodicals, and books. As a result, even in the most remote shared their first experience with this lianhuanhua book:
regions of China, such as Tibet and Xinjiang, people could I first encountered Ji Mao Xin at the book rental stand
access the same books available in Beijing and Shanghai in front of our house. It was a thicker lianhuanhua book,
(including lianhuanhua), albeit sometimes with a slight which made it more expensive to buy, so I could not afford
delay. it. Instead, I would go to the stand and rent it for 0.01 yuan

The supply of cultural goods during Mao’s era was each time. I read it multiple times, each time finding it
centrally managed by state-run agencies, including impossible to put down – the story was captivating and
publishing houses, theaters, and the Xinhua Bookstore, filled with legendary elements. My wife, however, read this
which monopolized book distribution nationwide. Unlike book thanks to a classmate whose father, a local military
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Western cultural industries, where consumer demand officer, had given it to her as a birthday present. Because
shapes content, content in China during this period was they were close friends, the classmate lent the book to
determined by national ideological needs. Under such my wife but told her, “Don’t let other classmates know I
circumstances, consumers, including children, had limited have this book – everyone wants to borrow it, but I’m only
choices in their cultural lives. Unlike today’s children, who lending it to you.” To express her gratitude, my wife loaned
enjoy a wide array of entertainment options, children of her friend five lianhuanhua books in return. (Interview
Mao’s era primarily relied on lianhuanhua to meet their date: September 2, 2020).
cultural needs. The second aspect of permeability is ideological.

The study revealed two aspects of lianhuanhua’s Cultural industry theory suggests that scarcity heightens
permeable distribution. The first is regional permeability: consumer reliance on limited cultural products. In
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even remote areas, such as the mountainous Southwest and China, this problem was particularly pronounced. With
the Northwest Gobi Desert, received lianhuanhua through few alternatives, children repeatedly read lianhuanhua
the Xinhua Bookstore’s distribution network and local stories, embedding these narratives in their memories. In
“exchange reading” systems. This distribution ensured contrast to the vast entertainment options available today,
that nearly every child, regardless of location, could access lianhuanhua served as an exclusive cultural source, and the
lianhuanhua, though rural areas often had fewer titles scarcity of true masterpieces like Ji Mao Xin amplified their
available than urban areas. impact on readers.
Two of the respondents, a married couple, stood out This raises a core question: How did lianhuanhua foster
as particularly interesting research subjects: Mr. Yao, political enlightenment among Chinese children during
born in 1960, and Ms. Wei, born in 1957. Mr. Yao spent Mao’s era? The 400 titles in this study can be grouped into
his childhood in the affluent coastal city of Dalian, while five thematic categories:
Ms. Wei grew up in the remote Gannan area of Gansu (i) Revolutionary struggle theme (194 titles, 48.5%):
province, now one of the poorest regions in China. The Focused on the CPC’s military successes.
two met while attending the same university in Beijing. (ii) Socialist construction theme (78 titles, 19.5%):
According to Mr. Yao, their first encounter was memorable Highlighted economic and social achievements
– they both contributed to the university newspaper. during Mao’s era.
Coincidentally, each had written about their favorite (iii) Class struggle theme (54 titles, 13.5%): Predominantly
lianhuanhua book, which, turned out to be the same title: published during the Cultural Revolution.
Ji Mao Xin (A Feather Letter). This story follows a rural (iv) Foreign socialist military support stories (44 titles,
child in northern China who conveys intelligence to the 11%): Depicted China’s aid to countries like Vietnam
Communist army during the Anti-Japanese War and is and North Korea.
considered a remarkable work of children’s literature from (v) Chinese historical stories (30 titles, 7.5%): Included
Mao’s era. Its author, Hua Shan, was a journalist working the ideological clash between Confucianism and
alongside the CPC. Although the book initially garnered Legalism during the Axial Age and Mao-promoted
little attention, it gained prominence in 1954 when it peasant uprisings.
was adapted into a film by Shi Hui and Zhang Junxiang, These themes reflect varying degrees of political
renowned screenwriters and directors in Chinese film oversight in cultural production, particularly in children’s
history. The film’s success brought popularity to the story, books. Cultural products profoundly influence consumers’
which was then adapted into a lianhuanhua book illustrated worldviews, and during Mao’s era, lianhuanhua served as
by Liu Jiyou, one of the most acclaimed painters of Mao’s an effective tool for instilling political ideals. It functioned

Volume 3 Issue 3 (2025) 6 doi: 10.36922/ac.5738