Destruction of the four olds
-Responsibilities IN ACTION
Following the idea of “po si jiu”, the Red terror continued to spread. By targeting on temples, museums and libraries, the Red Guards were able to destroy much of the “olds” at the same time. Libraries with classic literatures, museums with the most exquisite artifacts, and temples that symbolized the power of religion were all burned down. Perhaps one of the greatest loss of the time was the destruction of the Confucius Temple in Qufu. Confucius’s teachings were old ideas that were considered by the Red Guards as one of the biggest obstacle to the development of China. To lessen Confucius’s teachings’ influence on the Chinese people, this ancient piece of history thousands of years ago was instantly broken by the Red Guards by night. 5000 years of history melted into ashes day by day, and the Red Guards showed absolutely no sympathy toward it. Their only responsibility was to carry out Mao’s orders.
Top photo: The plaque at the Confucius Temple, being taken down, from Chinaheritagequarterly.org
Bottom photo: The ‘Ultimate Sage Stele’ at the Dacheng Hall of the Confucius Temple is pulled down and smashed, from Chinaheritagequarterly.org
Bottom photo: The ‘Ultimate Sage Stele’ at the Dacheng Hall of the Confucius Temple is pulled down and smashed, from Chinaheritagequarterly.org