This is the next installment of my book, The Cultural Revolution: Then and Mao.
To read the previous installment, click this link.
To start at the beginning, click this link.
Chapter 24
Cow Sheds
In 1967, as the Cultural Revolution ravaged the nation, the Red Guards took university professors and administrators prisoner, and forced them to construct what they called “Cow Sheds” on the campuses of universities throughout China. These Cow Sheds were actually makeshift prisons to house the professors and administrators, who were derogatorily called “Cow Devils” by the Red Guards.
The purpose of the Cow Sheds was to reeducate and rehabilitate the Cow Devils, so that they could reopen the universities and begin educating students in a pure and proper Communistic manner. The Red Guards in charge of the Cow Sheds were often students of the professors.
The living conditions for the imprisoned Cow Devils were often unsanitary and unhealthy. It weakened them, and made them vulnerable to disease.
Ji Xianlin at age 41, in 1952, 14 years before the Cultural Revolution began.
Their reeducation consisted of hard labor, and beatings during repeated Struggle Sessions. They also had to memorize quotations from Mao’s Little Red Book, and were thrashed severely whenever they failed to remember a quotation with exact accurateness. Many perished from the harsh living conditions and constant beatings from Red Guards.
Ji Xianlin was a professor imprisoned at Peking University. He was head of the university’s Eastern Languages Department. In the 1990’s, Ji wrote one of the few firsthand accounts in existence of those who survived persecution, in a book entitled, The Cowshed: Memories of the Chinese Cultural Revolution.
Many of Ji’s peers perished during this dark time in Chinese history, but Ji managed to live a long life. In the post-Cultural Revolution era, he became a popular and highly-respected intellectual. He passed away in 2009, at the age of 97.
Come on back in a few days for the next installment, entitled Chapter 25: All-Round Civil War.
Categories: Series (History): The Cultural Revolution
Chasing Unicorns 
You did a post about the Cowshed book before, right? I remember how awful they were and reading about the struggle sessions. See, I do remember what I read …. sometimes. 🙂
I am glad that life got better for Ji , but can’t imagine surviving all of that!
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Yes, I did. Life for the inmates in the cowsheds was horrible. Almost as bad as the life of Poor Brad.
It would be very tough to survive. Ji had PTSD for many years afterward. Also, he had the strange, awkward experience of working and living near his former captors, where everyone was expected to behave as if nothing had happened.
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Oooh gosh! “Almost as bad!”……mmm..!!
That would be very hard to live and work near one’s former captors! One would really have to make a conscious effort to make the best of life in spite ….or else let everything get to them and live a miserable one.
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It would be a test of patience, diplomacy, and a whole lot of other things that can help develop a person’s character. So, an opportunity for training of the soul.
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Exactly and I would rather develop my character a different way!
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Me too. I’d rather go to hell.
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I wouldn’t go that far! 🙂
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Ha! There’s an Asian joke in there. I may need to write quick post.
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Sounds like that could be a good post.
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Done… Good advice, anyway. No matter how good it looks, don’t take that job in Japan (or China).
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Great post, and funny (yet tragic) story. Reminds me of the guy who got to choose which level of hell to be in. The first level, everyone was neck deep in shit. The second level, everyone was waist deep in shit. But in the third level, everyone was only knee deep in shit, while standing around drinking coffee. Naturally he chose the third level. But after about ten minutes in this hell, a loud voice announced, “Alright, coffee break is over! Everyone back on their heads!”
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I was wondering about that. That kind of torture would bring on nightmares and trauma.
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He writes of having a very hard time adjusting, after his release. He didn’t know how to talk to people, and felt very awkward around anyone.
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I can’t even imagine that level of trauma.
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I hope trying to imagine it is the best I’ll ever be able to do.
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Ed Zachary.
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Ed who?
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Never heard the Ed Zachary joke?
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No. Never met the guy, either. But I’ll bet he’s a smartass.
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(DISCLAIMER: WARNINGWARNINGWARNING…NOT POLITICALLY CORRECT)
It goes something like this (not MY joke, either)…
A woman goes to see a Chinese doctor.
“Doctor, I’m having trouble finding a man. Can you help me?”
“I rill need to wun test. Preese take off crose and, get on hands and, ah, knees. Cwall on hands and knees, back and forf.”
The woman crawls around on the floor, parading back & forth in front of him, naked.
“I see pwobrem.”
“Really, doctor? What is it? What is my problem?”
“You face, ah, rook ed zachary rike you ass.”
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Haha! Ooh boy. Yep, not politically correct.
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Ed Zachary! 😉😁😎
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I wonder if Ji’s book is anything like Viktor Frankl’s great book…
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I’ve never read Frankl’s book. But I read Ji’s, and I liked it. Ji comes from a different culture, so maybe there would be some major cultural differences, but perhaps there’s also something universal about human suffering at the hands of abusers. It would be interesting to compare the two.
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I’ll have to try and give Ji’s book a read; the Franklbook was eye-opening…
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I too recommend Frankl’s book, though I’ll confess that not everyone who’s read it after my recommendation liked it.
Very existential. It was originally titled (from German), “…Nevertheless saying ‘Yes’ to Life: A Psychologist Experiences the Concentration Camp”.
I’ll have to put. “The Cowshed”, on my list.
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it is a tough read, but I think well worth it…
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