"History is the best textbook" is one of Chinese President Xi Jinping's favorite phrases, yet in recent years the Communist Party in China has made efforts to tighten control over history. The struggle to control historical memory can be seen most recently in attempts to curb even private commemorations of the bloody incidents of 1989 and silence public comment. Over time, the events of June 4, 1989, have become more, not less, sensitive. By examining the example of an almost-forgotten crackdown in the city of Chengdu, we can see a case study of the state's ability to rewrite history.
Louisa Lim is the author of The People’s Republic of Amnesia: Tiananmen Revisited (Oxford University Press, 2014), which was shortlisted for the Orwell Prize and the Helen Bernstein Award for Excellence in Journalism.
Book signing at 12:00 pm. Reception to follow lecture.
Co-sponsored with the Liu Institute for Asia and Asian Studies.