Fading Backdrop: Remembering CPPCC Figures

Author: Wang Donglin
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-05-01
Features: Following the publication of the revised edition of Liang Shuming Q&A last year, Wang Donglin's Fading Shadows – Records of CPPCC Figures has recently been published by Contemporary China Publishing House. The book still takes the author's personal experiences as the main thread, revealing many little-known stories of interactions and collaborations between the older generation of patriotic democratic figures such as Zhao Puchu, Liang Shuming, Ke Ling, Yu Shude, the 10th Panchen Lama, Cheng Siyuan, Song Xiliang, Huang Wei, and Zhang Naiji with the Communist Party of China. It holds significant historical value. The author, Wang Donglin, graduated from the Chinese Department of Fudan University in 1960 and served in the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) for over forty years from 1962 to April 2004, making him truly an "old-timer" of the CPPCC. However, he differs from the elderly CPPCC members, and in Fading Shadows, Wang Donglin records many subtle details of these elders as an eyewitness. Among them are Zhao Puchu, the 10th Panchen Lama, Liang Shuming, Zhang Naiji, Song Xiliang, and Zhang Bojun. Wang Donglin's records are mostly based on conversations with these elders, supplemented by some background information. Especially regarding the historical footsteps of Mr. Liang Shuming, large excerpts of his own speeches and written drafts are quoted, making the account particularly convincing. Due to Wang Donglin's identity and work, he was able to communicate closely with these renowned figures and observe some "other sides" that ordinary people might not see, which holds high historical value for fully understanding and researching historical celebrities. Moreover, a careful reading reveals that although the author adopts a narrative style throughout the book, he still clearly expresses his own judgments at key points. "The (clear vision from the outside")—it remains a timeless saying worth reflecting on!