Defend Yan'an

Author: Du Pengcheng
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2005-01-01
Features: From the founding of the People's Republic of China to 1966, China experienced a high tide of creative and publishing activities in the field of long novels. Over a decade, a large number of works were produced, among which dozens had a far-reaching influence and reached the peak of their time. These works adhered to the principles of socialist realism, using enthusiastic and simple expressions to praise the arduous struggles and vibrant spirit of the Chinese people during different historical periods, including the War of Liberation, the War of Resistance against Japan, the War of Liberation, and the construction of socialism. They represented the highest achievements of long novel creation during that period and occupied an extremely important position in the history of contemporary Chinese literature. With their unique charm, they influenced generations of readers and have endured the test of time to this day. To present a more complete picture of the development of contemporary long novels and the creative landscape of that era, we have specially compiled and published the series "Collected Masterpieces of Contemporary Chinese Long Novels."
I. The series is based on the "Selected Long Novels" published by our press in the 1950s and 1960s, as well as the "Red Classics" series from the 1990s, aiming to include as many outstanding works as possible.
II. The works in the series were published roughly between 1949 and 1965, with some multi-volume works whose publication process extended beyond this period.
III. Due to various reasons, some works had multiple revised editions. For this publication, we have selected the best versions and conducted proofreading in reference to other editions.
"Defending Yan'an" is an outstanding long novel in the history of contemporary literature that provides a large-scale, positive portrayal of the War of Liberation and is hailed as the "epic of heroes."
First, it stands at the height of its time and history, with a grand scale and majestic momentum, excellently reflecting the famous Yan'an Defense War during the War of Liberation, depicting a realistic and magnificent historical scroll of people's war. The work revolves around the fierce battles of the regular army of the Northwest Front against enemies outnumbering them ten to one, with the main force of the army's longitudinal team participating in battles such as Qinghuabian, Panlongzhen, Yulin, and Shajiaodian as the main thread, artistically summarizing the historical process of the army's transition from strategic defense to strategic counteroffense. The scenes of people's war depicted in the work are vast and complex, from the major decisions of senior commanders to the combat life of grassroots units, the organization and execution of battles, as well as the struggles of the people in the base areas and guerrilla units, all are portrayed with authenticity and positivity. The work does not shy away from the severe struggles of the time or the unprecedented cruelty and intensity of the war under the unfavorable conditions of the enemy being stronger than the self. Each battle saw countless heroic soldiers sacrifice their lives, and the victory was won at great cost.
The work profoundly reveals the fundamental reasons for the victory of this war: the correct analysis and wise decisions of the Central Committee and Chairman Mao Zedong regarding the overall situation, the correct deployment and command of Commander Peng Dehuai, and the revolutionary heroism of the army's commanders and soldiers from senior officers to ordinary soldiers, who fought to the death to defend the Central Committee. All these are fully and vividly depicted in the work; the support of the masses in the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Border Region and the people of the entire country for the war is also reflected to a certain extent. The work is always filled with fervent fighting passion, making readers feel the immense power of people's war, which is invincible and victorious in all endeavors.
Second, with a high-spirited tone and vigorous brushwork, the work portrays a group of rich and vivid characters. Among them are outstanding leaders of the Party and the army like Comrade Peng Dehuai, senior and mid-level commanders like Chen Yunxing, Li Cheng, Zhao Jing, and Wei Yi, who fought bravely and wisely across the battlefield; grassroots commanders like Zhou Dayong and Wang Laohu, who were renowned and feared by the enemy; ordinary soldiers and cooks, as well as revolutionary heroes like Li Zhende from the base areas. These characters share a common class nature but each has unique and distinct personalities. It can be said that ining typical characters in typical environments, the work reaches a relatively high level achievable at that time.
The protagonist, Zhou Dayong, is a heroic figure vividly portrayed by the author. Through a series of battles and detailed descriptions, the work highlights the characteristics of his heroic nature: his boundless loyalty to the Party, the leader, and the people, and his great spirit of self-sacrifice. When he heard that the Central Committee was evacuating Yan'an and saw the masses of Shaanxi lying in blood, "the terrible pain and anger tormented his heart." His strong love and hatred, as well as his high class consciousness, became the driving force behind his selfless dedication to the people and the creation of earth-shaking heroic deeds. In battle, he always eagerly sought to undertake the most dangerous and arduous tasks. During the breakout battle on the Great Wall line, he was severely wounded, carrying the injured soldiers and exhausted fighters, and was trapped in a small cave. In the face of despair, he thought of how to "struggle intensely for the cause of his class," and finally led the soldiers to break through the perilous situation. As Comrade Li Cheng, the political commissar of the regiment, said, Zhou Dayong was a person "whose pores were permeated with loyalty."
The work gives a vivid and unrestrained portrayal of Zhou Dayong's high revolutionary heroism, his iron will, his bravery, intelligence, composure, and flexibility in battle. During the Qinghuabian battle, he charged forward, completely indifferent to his own life and death; in the Panlongzhen assault, he was both wise and brave, excellently completing the task of luring the enemy; especially on the Great Wall line, when the company was surrounded by the enemy and lost contact with the main force, he, with incomparable firmness and bravery, as well as intelligence and composure, directed the soldiers to fight their way through the enemy ranks. Zhou Dayong grew into a people's hero through the tense battles and severe trials, under the education of the Party, and the work pays great attention to depicting the formation process of his heroic nature, making this heroic character more rounded and more believable.
The image of Comrade Li Cheng, the political commissar of the regiment, is one of the earliest and most successful portrayals of an outstanding political worker in the history of contemporary literature. Through him, the excellent traditions of political work in the army, cultivated since the Red Army era through long-term practice, are embodied, and the spiritual demeanor of political workers with a high sense of communism, a strong revolutionary spirit, and a skillful art of nurturing people are displayed.
The portrayal of the image of Commander Peng Dehuai, although brief, is a successful attempt in the history of contemporary literature to shape the glorious image of the older generation of proletarian revolutionaries, and also a great achievement in the creation of long novels over the past 40 years. As the military commander of the Northwest Front, the embodiment of Chairman Mao Zedong's military thought, the executor and commander of the Central Committee's wise decision to defend Yan'an, the work not only fully demonstrates the outstanding military talent of General Peng but also his grandeur as a military strategist with a far-sighted vision, the ability to see everything, a magnanimous demeanor, and a calm command. It also portrays his simplicity, modesty, approachability, sincerity, and kindness, his willingness to be a sweeper for the people, making him a great and ordinary people's servant. The successful portrayal of General Peng's glorious image not only adds color and weight to this epic but also holds pioneering significance in the history of contemporary literature.
Third, "Defending Yan'an" has its own distinct artistic style: a high degree of integration of surging passion, rich poetic imagery, and profound philosophy; the portrayal of heroic characters in severe typical environments; grandeur in style, unrestrained and rough brushwork; clear and vivid language, full of life and the spirit of the masses, yet also rich in the power of passion. However, in terms of the requirement of an epic to reflect the entirety of an era, "Defending Yan'an" reflects a relatively narrow social life, the portrayal of the enemy is somewhat thin, and the exploration of the inner world of the heroic characters is not rich and varied enough, with a slightly monotonous rhythm. These shortcomings of the work are to a certain extent limited by the cognition and theory of the time. However, these are only minor flaws. "Defending Yan'an" reached the highest level of long novel creation in the early 1950s and is indeed a treasure in the treasure trove of contemporary Chinese literature.