Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China

Life in Chengdu turned even uglier for Chang’s parents, who were now being denounced as capitalist-roaders. Red Guard “Rebels” took the lead in organizing denunciation meetings against higher-ranking officials inside their departments. It was the workplace equivalent of what students had done to their teachers at the beginning of the Cultural Revolution. A “January storm” came in early 1967. Mao’s most powerful opponents—Liu Shaoqi, Deng Xiaoping, and Tao Zhu—were detained. Rebels took control in the city of Shanghai, and Mao encouraged people everywhere to rise against the capitalist-roaders. In Sichuan Province, the Rebels split into two factions: “26 August,” which took its name from the earlier meeting at which university students denounced Chang’s father, and “Red Chengdu,” which was comparatively moderate (335-36).

Chang’s grandmother collapsed in grief when she learned that mobs had turned against her daughter, who several times was humiliated, made to kneel for long periods, and physically assaulted. Then, a militant group of 26 August Rebels invaded the Changs’ apartment, stole Chang’s father’s book collection, and burned it the next day at a denunciation meeting he was ordered to attend. When she arrived home later that day, Chang for the first time in her life saw her father weeping.