Protecting Yan'an -- A Collection of Contemporary Chinese Long Novels

Author: Du Pengcheng
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-01-01
Features: From the founding of the People's Republic of China to 1966, China experienced a peak period in the creation and publication of long novels. Over a decade, a large number of works were produced, among which dozens had a wide impact and reached the height of their time. These works adhered to the principles of socialist realism, using enthusiastic and simple methods 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 Liberation War, 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 present a more complete picture of the development of contemporary long novels and the state of long novel creation during that period, we have 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, and strives to include as many outstanding works as possible.
II. The publication dates of the works in the series are mostly between 1949 and 1965, though some multi-volume works have publication processes that extend beyond this period.
III. Due to various reasons, some works have 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 Liberation War 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, excellently reflecting the famous Yan'an Defense War during the Liberation War, depicting a realistic and magnificent historical scroll of the people's war. The work revolves around the bloody 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, artfully summarizing the historical process of the army's transition from strategic defense to strategic counter-offense. The scenes of the people's war depicted in the work are grand in scale and complex in detail, 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 truthfully and positively. 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, with countless heroic soldiers sacrificing themselves in every battle, "a piece of land, a piece of blood," and the victory came at a great cost.
The work also 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 to ordinary, all of whom fought to the death to defend the Central Committee. These aspects 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 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 the people's war, which is invincible and victorious in all endeavors.
Second, with a high-spirited tone and vigorous brushwork, the work portrays a series of rich and vivid characters. Among them are outstanding leaders of the Party and the army, such as Comrade Peng Dehuai; senior and mid-level generals like Chen Yunxing, Li Cheng, Zhao Jing, and Wei Yi, who fought bravely and wisely; grassroots commanders like Zhou Dayong and Wang Laohu, who were formidable and awe-inspiring; ordinary soldiers and cooks, as well as revolutionary heroes like Li Zhende from the base area. These characters share a common class nature but each has a unique and distinct personality. It can be said that ining typical characters in typical environments, the work has reached a relatively high level that was possible at the 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 falling into blood, "a 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 fearless dedication to the people and the creation of earth-shaking heroic deeds. In battle, he always eagerly sought the most dangerous and difficult tasks. During the breakout battle on the Great Wall line, he was severely wounded, carrying wounded soldiers and exhausted fighters, and was trapped in a small cave. Facing a desperate situation, he thought of how to "struggle intensely for the cause of his class," and finally led his soldiers to break through the danger. As Comrade Li Cheng, the Political Committee Secretary of the regiment, said, Zhou Dayong was a person "whose pores were permeated with loyalty."
The work gives a full and vivid portrayal of Zhou Dayong's high revolutionary heroism, his iron will, his bravery, intelligence, calmness, and flexibility in battle. In the Qinghuabian battle, he charged forward, completely disregarding his own life and death; in the Panlongzhen assault, he was both brave and wise, excellently completing the task of luring the enemy; especially on the Great Wall line, when the company was surrounded by enemy forces and lost contact with the main force, he, with his indomitable will and bravery, his extraordinary intelligence and calmness, led his soldiers to fight through the enemy ranks. Zhou Dayong grew into a people's hero through the tense battles and severe tests, under the education of the Party, and the work pays great attention to depicting the formation process of his heroic nature, making this heroic figure even more rich and believable.
The image of Comrade Li Cheng, the Political Committee Secretary of the regiment, is one of the earliest successful portrayals of an outstanding political worker in the history of contemporary literature. Through him, the excellent tradition of political work in the army, cultivated since the Red Army era through long-term practice, is embodied, and the spiritual demeanor of political workers with a high sense of communism, a strong sense of revolutionary cause, and a refined art of nurturing people is displayed. The work's portrayal of the image of Commander Peng Dehuai, though brief, is a successful attempt to shape the glorious image of the older generation of proletarian revolutionaries in contemporary literature and 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 majestic and calm demeanor as a military strategist with a far-sighted vision, keen insight, magnanimity, and decisive command. Moreover, it portrays his simplicity, modesty, approachability, sincerity, and kindness, his willingness to be a broom for the people, making him a great and ordinary people's servant. The successful shaping 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: the high integration of surging passion, rich poetic imagery, and profound philosophy; the portrayal of heroic characters in severe typical environments; grand in scale, bold and rough in tone; clear and vivid language, simple and lively, full of the flavor of life and the style of the masses, yet also rich in the power of passion. However, in terms of the requirement of an "epic" work to reflect the entirety of an era, "Defending Yan'an" reflects a relatively narrow social life and presents a somewhat thin portrayal of the enemy. The exploration of the inner world of the heroic characters is also not rich and varied, and the rhythm is slightly monotonous. 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 house of contemporary Chinese literature.