Leader of Tsinghua’s Jinggangshan Corps and of Beijing’s Red Guard rebels
Born in Binhai, Jiangsu, he entered Tsinghua’s Department of Engineering Chemistry in 1963. In June 1966 he resisted the work team sent by Liu Shaoqi and Deng Xiaoping, was criticised, and clashed head-on with Wang Guangmei, who served on it. With Mao’s backing he became a nationally famous rebel, led Tsinghua’s Jinggangshan Corps and in December was the first to shout “Down with Liu Shaoqi”. One of Beijing’s five Red Guard leaders, he clashed with a workers’ propaganda team at the end of the Hundred-Day War of 1968 and was rebuked by Mao in person. Imprisoned in 1970, he was sentenced in 1983 to seventeen years for counter-revolutionary propaganda, murder and other crimes, and released in 1987.
Activities and affiliations
- 1966–1968
Career Timeline
- 1963Entered Tsinghua’s Department of Engineering Chemistry
- 1966Clashed with Wang Guangmei against the work team; December rally to “Down with Liu Shaoqi”
- 1967Struggle rally against Wang Guangmei
- 1968Tsinghua’s Hundred-Day War; rebuked by Mao; assigned to Ningxia
- 1970Imprisoned
- 1983Sentenced to seventeen years
- 1987Released