Red, Red Sun | The East is Red

Transformation of a Love Song: The song, "The East is Red," first made the association between Mao and the sun in the 1940s. The song became increasingly prominent over the decades, and during the Cultural Revolution it effectively replaced the National Anthem. [Text version]

Satellite of Love: As the song rose to prominence, "The East is Red" even took on cosmic qualities: when China's first satellite orbited the earth in 1970, it chimed the tune of "The East is Red" to the whole world.

History in Song and Dance: In 1964, "The East is Red" became a stage extravaganza, referred to as a "grand song-and-dance epic," outlining the history of the Chinese Communist Revolution. The show's theme was a preamble to a key message of the Cultural Revolution: Mao Zedong was the undisputed and infallible leader of the Chinese revolution, and the embodiment of modern Chinese history. The story of Chinese history was his story.

Readings:

China Pictorial articles
Richard Curt Kraus, Pianos and Politics in China

Transcript