Mao’s Decade of Total Cultural Purge

To save communism, Mao Zedong launched a decade-long crusade to destroy China's traditional past. Citizens were encouraged to turn against their own history and family, erasing centuries of art and heritage.

The movement aimed to eradicate the Four Olds: old customs, culture, habits, and ideas. This led to widespread destruction of historic landmarks, temples, and priceless ancient artifacts by organized student groups. Intellectuals and authority figures faced public shaming and imprisonment for representing the old world. The upheaval fundamentally transformed Chinese society before coming to a close in 1976.