The Red Culture
The color red has a strong symbolic meaning. According to Hao (2020), in China, red culture is an important resource, including both material and immaterial culture. Even many Chinese people call red the national color. Among them, the representative figure of red culture is Mao Zedong, and the main spirits are the spirit of Jinggang Mountain, the spirit of Long March, the spirit of Yan’an, and other twelve red revolutionary spirits (Baidu, n.d.). The red culture is popularized by education and branded in the heart of every Chinese person.
As far as I can remember, I have been wearing the red scarf since I was in elementary school. It was a symbol of my glory and meant that I became a pioneer. My teacher told me that the red scarf is the symbol of the pioneers, representing a corner of the red flag, dyed with the blood of revolutionary martyrs, and that every pioneer should wear it to love it and add new honor to it (The picture below is a red scarf). Then we would start being asked to recite ancient poems, the most influential being “The Long March” written by Chairman Mao. This poem is about the difficult strategic transfer of the Chinese Communist Party during the Agrarian Revolution. The “spirit of the Long March”, which is often mentioned nowadays, is the national character demonstrated by the lofty ideals and firm beliefs, the fearless sacrifice to save the country and the people, the independence and practicality, and the firm ideals of communism and the common ideal of socialism with Chinese characteristics Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China. (Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China, 2021).
In my upbringing and education, the red culture is ubiquitous and deep-rooted. Let us learn from the spirit of hardship and sacrifice of the revolutionary martyrs and cherish the good life that was built on flesh and blood. As Jeremy (2009) mentions, the importance of the effectiveness of cultural soft power in governing the country. It is subtle and deeply rooted. In this regard, red culture does a good job.
According to Richard and Sarah (2013), policies may be categorised as'material' or'symbolic,' based on whether they distribute real, physical resources and significant authority, or whether they appeal to societal ideals such as social justice or patriotism. Clearly, here it is the latter, successfully shaping socialist values with Chinese characteristics.Jeremy (2009) cited Nye (2004) as finding that if implicit or effective cultural policy is defined as strategists’ attempts to change cultural attitudes and practises in their own or their enemies’ area, we’ve entered the world of’soft power,’ as Joseph Nye defines it. Whether ‘explicit’ or ‘nominal’, red culture accomplishes this well. Cultural communication is a complex political operation in itself, which has a lasting effect on the culture of an entire nation, not to mention the minds of each individual. In my opinion, the “Chinese Red”, as it is popularly known, is a good example of the flag of red culture development.
References：
Baidu. (n.d.). Red Revolutionary Spirit. https://baike.baidu.com/item/红色革命精神/51060585
Hao, N. (2020). The Unique Role of Red Culture in Ideological and Political Education for College Students. The Frontiers of Society, Science and Technology, 2(3).
Jeremy Ahearne (2009) Cultural policy explicit and implicit: a distinction and some uses, International Journal of Cultural Policy, 15:2, 141–153, DOI: 10.1080/10286630902746245
Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China. (2021). The spirit of the Long March is a powerful spiritual motivation for the Chinese people to overcome difficulties. http://www.moe.gov.cn/jyb_xwfb/moe_2082/2021/2021_zl26/changzheng/202104/t20210429_529125.html
Richard Denniss and Sarah Maddinson (2013) An Introduction to Australian Public Policy (2nd Ed.), ‘Introduction’, pp. 3–16
Yinge Ru. (2020). Baofeng Yingbin Road Primary School “red scarf and the motherland grow together” new pioneers into the team ceremony. www.meipian.cn/2yscaizn