Democracy Wall
Encyclopedia
The Democracy Wall was a long brick wall on Xidan Street
, Xicheng District
, Beijing
, which became the focus for democratic
dissent
. Beginning in December 1978, in line with the Communist Party of China
's policy of "seeking truth from facts
," activists in the Democracy
movement—such as Xu Wenli—recorded news and ideas, often in the form of big-character poster
s (dazibao), during a period known as the "Beijing Spring
". The first posting on the Wall was by a poet from Guizhou province, Huang Xiang
. These activists were initially encouraged to criticize the Gang of Four and previous failed government policies as part of Deng Xiaoping's struggle to gain power but the wall was closed in December 1979 when the leadership and the communist party
system
were being criticized along with acknowledged mistakes and previous leaders. The shutdown coincided with suppression of political dissent
. The Democracy Wall was moved to Ritan Park prior to being closed down. As visitors to the wall then had to show identification to enter the park, the open and free access to the wall was curtailed.
The Fifth Modernization
was a signed wall poster placed by Wei Jingsheng
on December 5, 1978, on the Democracy Wall in Beijing. It was the first poster that openly advocated further individual liberties
. It caused a spectacle, espousing that freedom
was the only "modernization" that really mattered, rather than improved living standards. The poster was in response to the government's "Four Modernizations
" campaign.
had its own Democracy Wall, in Ratna Park, Kathmandu. After the establishment of democracy in 1990, the square became a rallying point for protesters, but the wall itself was demolished by the city government in August 2005, six months after King Gyanendra
dismissed the elected government and assumed direct power himself.
Xidan
Xidan is a major traditional commercial area in Beijing, China. It is located in the Xicheng District.The Xidan commercial district incorporates the Xidan Culture Square, North Xidan Street, as well as many supermarkets and department stores...
, Xicheng District
Xicheng District
Xicheng District is a district in Beijing, China. Xicheng District spans 32 square kilometres, making it the largest portion of the old city , and has 706,691 inhabitants . Its postal code is 100032. Xicheng is subdivided into 15 subdistricts of the city proper of Beijing...
, Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
, which became the focus for democratic
Chinese democracy movement
The Chinese democracy movement refers to a series of loosely organized political movements in the People's Republic of China against the continued one-party rule by the Communist Party. One such movement began during the Beijing Spring in 1978 and was taken up again in the Tiananmen Square...
dissent
Dissent
Dissent is a sentiment or philosophy of non-agreement or opposition to a prevailing idea or an entity...
. Beginning in December 1978, in line with the Communist Party of China
Communist Party of China
The Communist Party of China , also known as the Chinese Communist Party , is the founding and ruling political party of the People's Republic of China...
's policy of "seeking truth from facts
Seek truth from facts
"Seek truth from facts" is a historically established expression that first appeared in the Book of Han. Originally, it described an attitude toward study and research....
," activists in the Democracy
Democracy
Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
movement—such as Xu Wenli—recorded news and ideas, often in the form of big-character poster
Big-character poster
Big-character posters are handwritten, wall-mounted posters using large-sized Chinese characters, used as a means of protest, propaganda, and popular communication. They have been used in China since imperial times, but became more common when literacy rates rose after the 1911 revolution...
s (dazibao), during a period known as the "Beijing Spring
Beijing Spring
The Beijing Spring refers to a brief period of political liberalization in the People's Republic of China which occurred in 1977 and 1978. The name is derived from "Prague Spring", an analogous event which occurred in Czechoslovakia in 1968....
". The first posting on the Wall was by a poet from Guizhou province, Huang Xiang
Huang Xiang
Huang Xiang was born on December 26, 1941 in Guidong County of Hunan Province. Xiang is currently one of the greatest poets of the 20th century and a master calligrapher...
. These activists were initially encouraged to criticize the Gang of Four and previous failed government policies as part of Deng Xiaoping's struggle to gain power but the wall was closed in December 1979 when the leadership and the communist party
Communist Party of China
The Communist Party of China , also known as the Chinese Communist Party , is the founding and ruling political party of the People's Republic of China...
system
Communist state
A communist state is a state with a form of government characterized by single-party rule or dominant-party rule of a communist party and a professed allegiance to a Leninist or Marxist-Leninist communist ideology as the guiding principle of the state...
were being criticized along with acknowledged mistakes and previous leaders. The shutdown coincided with suppression of political dissent
Suppression of dissent
Suppression of dissent occurs when an individual or group which is more powerful than another tries to directly or indirectly censor, persecute or otherwise oppress the other party, rather than engage with and constructively respond to or accommodate the other party's arguments or viewpoint...
. The Democracy Wall was moved to Ritan Park prior to being closed down. As visitors to the wall then had to show identification to enter the park, the open and free access to the wall was curtailed.
The Fifth Modernization
Fifth Modernization
The Fifth Modernization originally began as a signed wall poster placed by Wei Jingsheng on December 5, 1978 on the Democracy Wall in Beijing.-Summary:...
was a signed wall poster placed by Wei Jingsheng
Wei Jingsheng
Wei Jingsheng is a Chinese activist known for his involvement in the Chinese democracy movement, most prominent for authoring the document Fifth Modernization on the "Democracy Wall" in Beijing in 1978. He is generally known for getting arrested and spending 15 years in prison due to the document...
on December 5, 1978, on the Democracy Wall in Beijing. It was the first poster that openly advocated further individual liberties
Civil rights
Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from unwarranted infringement by governments and private organizations, and ensure one's ability to participate in the civil and political life of the state without discrimination or repression.Civil rights include...
. It caused a spectacle, espousing that freedom
Freedom (political)
Political freedom is a central philosophy in Western history and political thought, and one of the most important features of democratic societies...
was the only "modernization" that really mattered, rather than improved living standards. The poster was in response to the government's "Four Modernizations
Four Modernizations
The Four Modernizations were goals, set forth by Zhou Enlai in 1963, to strengthen the fields of agriculture, industry, national defense, science and technology...
" campaign.
Nepal
NepalNepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
had its own Democracy Wall, in Ratna Park, Kathmandu. After the establishment of democracy in 1990, the square became a rallying point for protesters, but the wall itself was demolished by the city government in August 2005, six months after King Gyanendra
Gyanendra of Nepal
Gyanendra Shah was the last King of Nepal. During his life, he has held the title of the King twice: first between 1950 and 1951 as a child when his grandfather Tribhuvan was forced into exile in India with the rest of his family; and from 2001 to 2008, following the Nepalese royal massacre.King...
dismissed the elected government and assumed direct power himself.