Emancipation of the Mind

By Lan Xinzhen

Any mention of Chinas reform and opening-up policy likely brings to mind a now well-known story of economic takeoff and a countrys rise from poverty to become the worlds second largest economy within the space of four decades. But behind this economic transformation， profound changes have also taken place in the minds of Chinese people， an often overlooked side of the process that is worth due consideration.

A retrospective sweep of the reform era throws up two events which have been crucial in altering Chinese minds. The fi rst was a massive debate on the criterion of truth which was triggered by an article titled Practice Is the Sole Criterion for Testing Truth published in Guangming Daily on May 11， 1978. This was a crucial moment in emancipating peoples mindset and the emergence of the idea of reform and opening up.

Forty years ago， China was standing at a historic juncture. After the turbulence of the “cultural revolution” （1966-76）， the nation was anticipating huge change and overhaul in every aspect of life. A proper course could be charted only after the ideas and concepts that had produced the previous decade of turmoil had been shaken off. This set the scene for a debate on the criterion of truth which helped to emancipate peoples minds from the shackles of doctrinarism and narrow empiricism. When the Third Plenary Session of the 11th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China convened in December 1978， it announced the beginning of a new journey on the path to reform and opening up.

The other event that influenced contemporary Chinese thought was the Shekou debate. On the evening of January 13， 1988， intense argument broke out over moral values between three scholar and the audience at a youth symposium held in Shekou， then a town in south Chinas Guangdong Province. The scholars admonished those who ran their own private businesses， but the young spectators disagreed， retorting that these people should be encouraged to do so and that making money through hard work， so long as legal， was nothing to be ashamed of.

On the second day of the event one of the scholars， Li Yanjie， asked his institution， a youth education research center under Beijing Normal University， to produce a report which suggested that the symposium was “swamped by the false rhetoric of youth” and that Shekous young generation had taken an “evil path.” In February， a local newspaper in Guangdong ran the story， followed by several articles criticizing the three scholars for their unprogressive stance. The event was soon widely discussed across the country. On August 6， the Peoples Daily published a 7，000-character piece on the dispute， and opened a special column for discussion on the new views of Chinas youth. The stage was set for the countrys next generation， with the backing of the countrys most authoritative newspaper， to break free from the shackles of an old and outdated mindset.

A clash of ideas was an inevitable feature of the transition from a planned economy to a market-oriented one. Unrestrained， like the countrys economy， peoples thinking quickly moved forward. The products and wealth created by economic growth began reshaping peoples views while their opened minds have in turn pushed forward economic and social progress.

Peoples awareness of individuality has increased. Reform and opening up has enhanced the possibility of upward social mobility as a result of individual effort， which has consequently prompted more people to downgrade the importance of clans or collectives and focus more on themselves.

The concept of consumption has also changed. Before the launch of reform and opening up， Chinese stressed frugality and consumption was thus reduced to the lowest level necessary for survival. Since 1978， the consumption of commodities and cultural products has grown steadily， arriving now in a new era in which the principal contradiction facing the country is one between unbalanced and inadequate development and the peoples ever-growing needs for a better life.

Traditional customs and attitudes toward life have also undergone profound changes. More Western festivals have become popular in China， such as Valentines Day and Christmas， while some traditional Chinese festivals are less visible. Before late 1978， peoples clothes were limited to simple colors and styles， with women scolded for wearing short skirts. Nowadays， the streets abound with colors and patterns， with girls wearing mini-skirts and backless dresses.

The changes occurring in the mindset of China today highlight the openness of Chinese society， which is essential for the continuation of reform and opening up and the future of globalization.