October 1st is the founding anniversary of the People's Republic of China. "Le Monde" wrote in a column that the oil painting reflecting Mao Zedong's announcement of the founding of the People's Republic of China on the Tiananmen Gate Tower is world-famous. However, the "Founding Ceremony" currently displayed in the National Museum of China is no longer the original version. In line with the political needs of different historical periods, the characters in the painting have also been daubed and added several times. The article titled "Why Mao Zedong's "Coronation Painting" Was Changed Again and Again" reads:
“‘History is often tampered with by those who create it’ – Polish historian Wieslaw Brudzinski’s famous saying is aptly applied to China’s National Day.
This day is intended to remind people not to forget: On this day in 1949, Mao Zedong ascended the Tiananmen Rostrum, the main entrance to the former Forbidden City, and proclaimed the founding of the People's Republic of China. It is said that he shouted at that time: The Chinese people have stood up from now on! However, those who witnessed it know very well that Mao did not say such a thing that day, and there is no relevant record in Mao's anthology. In fact, Mao Zedong used this expression at the Beijing Political Consultative Conference ten days before the founding of the People's Republic of China. At this meeting, various promises were made regarding the people's happy life after the Communist Party came to power.
As well-known as "The Chinese People Have Standed Up", but whose authenticity is equally questionable, is the "Founding Ceremony" that has become an iconic oil painting. In order to highlight the significance of National Day, this work was printed on stamps, posters, and frequently appeared in books and magazines. To this end, even clear imitations of the style of Western imperial coronation paintings were used, including Menzel's coronation of Wilhelm I at Königsberg, Anton von Werner's proclamation of Wilhelm II at Versailles, and David's coronation of Napoleon.
"The Founding Ceremony" has nothing to do with Chinese art tradition, but adopts a Western painting style: the frame is 2.3 meters x 4 meters, and red is used extensively. In 1953, Dong Xiwen completed this "social realism" style work. It is said that after "People's Daily" published this work, more than 500,000 copies of the painting were sold within three weeks. Since then, "The Founding Ceremony" has become a successful example of the Sinicization of oil painting, as well as a model of the revolutionization, nationalization and modernization of Chinese art. Prior to this, oil painting had not received widespread attention in China. "
The "Le Monde" article wrote that the oil painting "The Founding Ceremony" has now become a national treasure-level cultural relic in the National Museum of China, but what the audience sees here is no longer Dong Xiwen's original work. This painting has also undergone many revisions according to the political needs of different periods.
“The first person to bear the brunt was Gao Gang, an early military leader of the Communist Party who once rose to the rank of director of the State Planning Commission. In the power struggle within the party, Gao Gang committed suicide after losing to Chen Yun and Deng Xiaoping. In 1954, Dong Xiwen had to paint out Gao Gang standing next to the pillars of the Tiananmen Gate Tower again.
About 20 years later, in the early 1970s, the painting had to be altered again. After Chinese President Liu Shaoqi was completely overthrown during the Cultural Revolution, of course he could no longer be seen in the paintings and should be replaced by Lin Biao, who had not yet fallen out of favor at that time. Dong Xiwen was unwilling to accept this order, so he was criticized for following the "bourgeois reactionary line", expelled from the party, and sent to reform through labor. This time, all the honors brought to him by the "Founding Ceremony" could not help him.
One of Dong Xiwen's students accepted the revision task, and Liu Shaoqi was changed into his deputy Dong Biwu. But this is only a temporary replacement. In 1978, after the Cultural Revolution was declared over, in the fourth revision of the "Founding Ceremony", Liu Shaoqi replaced Dong Biwu, and Gao Gang returned to the pillar. Since Dong Xiwen had passed away at that time, all modification work was completed by his two disciples. As for the "Founding Ceremony" on display in the museum today, whether it is Dong Xiwen's original work that has been modified several times, or a copy by his students, I am afraid only the museum can provide the answer. "
When Golden Week encounters "consumption downgrade"
On October 1st, China began the "National Day Golden Week", which is also China's most important tourist season. Consumer spending during the Golden Week period is often seen as an important barometer of economic conditions. But now the problem is: Chinese people are saving money. The Business Daily wrote:
"'Consumption downgrade' has almost become a buzzword in China now. Consumers either choose cheaper products or services, or give up altogether. The ongoing real estate crisis and overall economic uncertainty have forced many families to tighten their wallets. Consumer spending has almost come to a standstill. Although state media reports try their best to create an optimistic atmosphere, China's leadership is also well aware of the seriousness of weak domestic demand. A national initiative launched by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism at the end of September is enough to illustrate the problem.
Despite financial constraints, many local governments plan to launch a consumer coupon and subsidy campaign worth 310 million to promote tourism and consumption. Party media People's Daily wrote that "diversified measures should be used to release new momentum for holiday consumption."
Xinhua News Agency reported that Premier Li Qiang chaired a meeting on Monday and announced that countercyclical stimulus measures would be strengthened to achieve the economic growth target set for this year. In other words, the highest levels of government clearly believe that the goal of achieving 4.5% to 5% growth is already at risk.
In the field of private consumption, the so-called ‘experience economy’ is one of the few industries that is still growing. But as economists warn, concerts, cultural and sporting events cannot grow indefinitely.
Official media are cheering as the number of hotel stays, air tickets and bus ticket orders have hit new highs, but these indicators can only partially reflect Chinese people’s enthusiasm for consumption. Even more telling is how much these tourists end up spending. "
