Furnace Prison

Author: Wang Zhongfang
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2005-03-01
Features: The unprecedented "Cultural Revolution" has been over for many years. How to view this extraordinary history has been discussed extensively. Whether wise or benevolent, everyone agrees that it was something that should never have happened, a catastrophe, a nightmare. Yes, when this so-called "Cultural Revolution" surged like muddy waves across China, no one knew what was happening, nor why it was happening. How many founding heroes were helpless, even persecuted to death; some renowned scholars, unable to see the truth or unable to bear it, took their own lives. However, everything can be understood. The "Cultural Revolution" tempered the Communist Party of China and the Chinese people, prompting the entire party and the nation to reflect deeply and carry out fundamental reforms, reshaping China and the Communist Party of China with new perspectives, new ideas, new plans, and new efforts to welcome the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. I am just an ordinary Communist Party member. My theoretical foundation and thinking ability are not sufficient to write something substantial. As an 80-year-old party member who has been a member of the party for over 60 years, I can only write down my personal experiences and reflections as my own summary, for others to refer to. It is inevitable that memories of the past may not be entirely accurate, and personal reflections may not always be appropriate. I have done my best, and that is all. The author spent two thousand days and nights in prison, reading by day and reflecting by night. "Purgatory" is the author's reflective manuscript commemorating the 30th anniversary of his release (1967–1972).
The unprecedented "Cultural Revolution" has been over for many years. How to view this extraordinary history has been discussed extensively. Whether wise or benevolent, everyone agrees that it was something that should never have happened, a catastrophe, a nightmare. Yes, when this so-called "Cultural Revolution" surged like muddy waves across China, no one knew what was happening, nor why it was happening. How many founding heroes were helpless, even persecuted to death; some renowned scholars, unable to see the truth or unable to bear it, took their own lives. However, everything can be understood. The "Cultural Revolution" tempered the Communist Party of China and the Chinese people, prompting the entire party and the nation to reflect deeply and carry out fundamental reforms, reshaping China and the Communist Party of China with new perspectives, new ideas, new plans, and new efforts to welcome the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. I am just an ordinary Communist Party member. My theoretical foundation and thinking ability are not sufficient to write something substantial. As an 80-year-old party member who has been a member of the party for over 60 years, I can only write down my personal experiences and reflections as my own summary, for others to refer to. It is inevitable that memories of the past may not be entirely accurate, and personal reflections may not always be appropriate. I have done my best, and that is all. The author spent two thousand days and nights in prison, reading by day and reflecting by night. "Purgatory" is the author's reflective manuscript commemorating the 30th anniversary of his release (1967–1972).