Page "Cultural Revolution" Paragraph 113

One of the student leaders of the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989, Shen Tong, author of Almost a Revolution, has a positive view of some aspects of the Cultural Revolution.

According to Shen, the trigger for the famous Tiananmen hunger-strikes of 1989 was a big-character poster ( dazibao ), a form of public political discussion that gained prominence during the Cultural Revolution.

Shen remarked that the congregation of students from across the country to Beijing on trains and the hospitality they received from residents was reminiscent of the experiences of Red Guards in the Cultural Revolution.