It’s not often we get a window into the past and a glimmer of a person’s inner thoughts, but an article on a regretful leader of Mao’s Cultural Revolution (NY Times) allows us just that insight. Indeed, a recent public apology to his fellow citizens for past wrongs, in a culture that reveres face and maintaining a public profile of dignity and honor, is a powerful admission.
Chen Xiaolu, a onetime student leader during the revolution is one of several who have made such a public confession in an effort to move beyond this past blight. It is a remarkable act in his culture; an action taken because many feel the imperative to de-romanticize the past.
Do you think that his confession will create a more realistic view of this period of China's history? Do you think it says anything significant about the value for saving face in China? Let us know your thoughts in the comments area below.
