Red Letter

Author: Zhang Ding
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-06-01
Features: This year marks the 85th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China and the 70th anniversary of the Long March victory. Various regions and departments are planning a series of commemorative activities. Among them, "Red Family Letters," published by China Pictorial Publishing House, is a distinctive project. "Red Family Letters" is the second volume of a series of folk family letters edited by the Folk Family Letters Rescue Project Committee. It aims to collect and organize existing folk family letters, awaken people's appreciation for family harmony, and carry forward the tradition of family letter culture, which has endured in China for thousands of years.
Family letters, as an important part of Chinese civilization, carry profound historical and cultural significance. They integrate elements of literature, history, aesthetics, calligraphy, etiquette, postal services, packaging, and paper, embodying the cohesion and affinity of the Chinese nation. Family letters have been the primary means of communication throughout history, playing an irreplaceable role in conveying thoughts and emotions. They reflect the true sentiments of the writers, and "Red Family Letters" showcases more of the goodness, beauty, and truth within them. The values embedded in these letters—such as love for the Party and the motherland, adherence to discipline, respect for the elderly and children, unity and mutual assistance, honesty and integrity, hard work, perseverance, science, and family harmony—are highly aligned with the socialist concept of honor and shame proposed by General Secretary Hu Jintao. Nearly every letter contains the essence of traditional Chinese culture, including family bonds, self-cultivation, household management, etiquette, and education. Many letters radiate the brilliance of traditional Chinese virtues such as pursuing truth, fairness, integrity, and selfless dedication, which are also in harmony with the requirements of moral education for citizens in building a harmonious society.
Therefore, editing and compiling outstanding family letters and vigorously promoting family letter culture not only holds profound historical significance but also carries significant practical importance. "Red Family Letters" is divided into four parts: "Returning the Favor," "The Love of Zijiu," "Brotherly Love," and "Tender Parental Love," featuring over 50 red family letters (most of which are collected by the National Museum of China) and more than 30 stories of families who love the Party, the motherland, and their homes. It provides a lively and engaging textbook for moral education. From these red family letters, we gain not only remembrance but also the strength to strive forward.
The letters primarily record exchanges of well wishes and daily family matters, interspersed with the emotional changes between writers. They are genuine and relatable. Through these heartfelt letters, moving stories, and uplifting old photographs, people, especially young students, come to understand that no matter how ordinary their positions may be, every martyred hero is a cornerstone of the republic, and every ordinary Communist Party member is a rust-proof screw in the machinery of national construction. Heroes are not unattainable; role models are right beside us.
On April 25, 1946, Liu Tingkai, a soldier in the Eighth Route Army, wrote a long letter to his family with tears in his eyes. He wrote, "In disaster-ridden China, many families lack clothing and food—not just ours. In recent years, I have been striving for myself, for this group suffering from hunger and cold. Mother, we should dry our tears. If I die for the people in battle, there is no need to cry. Look, those dead on the battlefield—none of them were not loved sons of their mothers." In this letter, he revealed the heart of a soldier: longing for family but selfless and fearless. Less than half a year later, he heroically sacrificed in the war of liberation.
One revolutionary influenced an entire family. Before Tianjin's liberation, Du Jun, a young student, abandoned his personal interests for the greater good and joined the People's Liberation Army, dedicating his life to serving the people. He not only practiced his vow through selfless work but also encouraged his younger siblings to study hard, serve the people, and contribute to the motherland. In a letter to his siblings, he wrote, "I joined the revolutionary army purely to serve the people. By doing so, I have lost the side of family. Here, I ask you to do more for me in front of our parents. Listen to their advice, study diligently, and in the future, all of you must serve the people. Without knowledge, it is not possible." Under his influence, his younger siblings realized their lifelong ideal of serving the people through their actions.
This book collects more than 30 families and over 50 treasured family letters, each accompanied by images of the original letters, old photographs of the relevant individuals, and compelling stories behind the letters.