Wen Hui Bao
Encyclopedia
Wenhui Bao is a major Chinese daily newspaper, published in Shanghai
.
in 1938 by leftist leaning intellectuals centred around writer and journalist Ke Ling. Over the next decade it was closed down twice for its political leanings.
In early 1956, Wenhui Bao was forced to relocate to Beijing
and was renamed Jiaoshibao (Teacher's News). After the start of the Hundred Flowers Campaign
, however, the paper was allowed to resume publication under its original name, beginning on 1 October 1956. Under its editor-in-chief Xu Zhucheng, Wenhui Bao became one of the most outspoken newspapers of the Hundred Flowers period, but was attacked by Mao Zedong
in July 1957 and punished.
In the 1960s, Wenhui Bao became an outlet for Mao Zedong's editorials, and in late 1965 it was used by the Shanghai
leftists supporting Jiang Qing
and Zhang Chunqiao
to launch their attack on the writer Wu Han
. Their polemical review of Wu's play Hai Rui Dismissed from Office
became the triggers of China's Cultural Revolution
. On 4 January 1967, the paper was taken over by radical Red Guards
in the first power seizure in Shanghai.
In the 1980s, Wenhui Bao re-emerged as an intellectually stimulating and widely read paper with a circulation of 1.8 million. In 1998, in a wave of creating press groups backed by the government, Wenhui Bao and Xinmin Wanbao were merged into the Wenhui-Xinmin United Press Group
, which was the second largest press group in China after Guangzhou Daily Press Group in terms of advertisement revenues. In the recent years, this position has been challenged by newcomers.
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
.
History
Wenhui Bao was founded in ShanghaiShanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
in 1938 by leftist leaning intellectuals centred around writer and journalist Ke Ling. Over the next decade it was closed down twice for its political leanings.
In early 1956, Wenhui Bao was forced to relocate to 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...
and was renamed Jiaoshibao (Teacher's News). After the start of the Hundred Flowers Campaign
Hundred Flowers Campaign
The Hundred Flowers Campaign, also termed the Hundred Flowers Movement, refers mainly to a brief six weeks in the People's Republic of China in the early summer of 1957 during which the Communist Party of China encouraged a variety of views and solutions to national policy issues, launched...
, however, the paper was allowed to resume publication under its original name, beginning on 1 October 1956. Under its editor-in-chief Xu Zhucheng, Wenhui Bao became one of the most outspoken newspapers of the Hundred Flowers period, but was attacked by Mao Zedong
Mao Zedong
Mao Zedong, also transliterated as Mao Tse-tung , and commonly referred to as Chairman Mao , was a Chinese Communist revolutionary, guerrilla warfare strategist, Marxist political philosopher, and leader of the Chinese Revolution...
in July 1957 and punished.
In the 1960s, Wenhui Bao became an outlet for Mao Zedong's editorials, and in late 1965 it was used by the Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
leftists supporting Jiang Qing
Jiang Qing
Jiang Qing was the pseudonym that was used by Chinese leader Mao Zedong's last wife and major Communist Party of China power figure. She went by the stage name Lan Ping during her acting career, and was known by various other names during her life...
and Zhang Chunqiao
Zhang Chunqiao
Zhang Chunqiao was a prominent Chinese political theorist, writer, and politician...
to launch their attack on the writer Wu Han
Wu Han (PRC)
Wu Han was one of the most important historians in the development of modern historical scholarship in China with his work in the 1930s and 1940s. In the 1940s he was a leading member of the Democratic League, a non-aligned Third Force. After 1949, he was Deputy-Mayor of Peking...
. Their polemical review of Wu's play Hai Rui Dismissed from Office
Hai Rui Dismissed from Office
Hai Rui Dismissed from Office is a theatre play notable for its involvement in Chinese politics during the Cultural Revolution.Wu Han, who wrote the play, was a historian who focused on the Ming Dynasty. Wu Han wrote an article portraying Hai Rui, a Ming minister who was imprisoned for criticizing...
became the triggers of China's Cultural Revolution
Cultural Revolution
The Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, commonly known as the Cultural Revolution , was a socio-political movement that took place in the People's Republic of China from 1966 through 1976...
. On 4 January 1967, the paper was taken over by radical Red Guards
Red Guards (China)
Red Guards were a mass movement of civilians, mostly students and other young people in the People's Republic of China , who were mobilized by Mao Zedong in 1966 and 1967, during the Cultural Revolution.-Origins:...
in the first power seizure in Shanghai.
In the 1980s, Wenhui Bao re-emerged as an intellectually stimulating and widely read paper with a circulation of 1.8 million. In 1998, in a wave of creating press groups backed by the government, Wenhui Bao and Xinmin Wanbao were merged into the Wenhui-Xinmin United Press Group
Wenhui-Xinmin United Press Group
The Wenhui-xinmin United Press Group is a Chinese language newspaper publisher, established on July 25, 1998. It publishes foreign editions of its newspapers and magazines in ten countries, including the US and Australia.-Publications:...
, which was the second largest press group in China after Guangzhou Daily Press Group in terms of advertisement revenues. In the recent years, this position has been challenged by newcomers.