User:Jim101/Who are the Most Beloved People?

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Who are the Most Beloved People? (simplified Chinese: 谁是最可爱的人; traditional Chinese: 誰是最可愛的人; pinyin: Shuí Shì Zuì Kě Ài De Rēn) is the title of a famous essay about the Chinese People's Volunteer Army (PVA) in Korea, and it is written by Chinese journalist Wei Wei.

Content[edit]

The essay revolves around the theme that the Chinese soldiers are the "most beloved people".[1] To illustrate this point, Wei Wei lists four examples of the soldiers' sacrifices. The first example describes the battle of between the Chinese 38th Corps and the US 2nd Infantry Division at the Battle of Ch'ongch'on River[2] and how a company of soldiers sacrificed themselves during combat. The second example shows an artilleryman volunteers for infantry duty in order to avenge the agressions committed against the Korean people. The third example talks about how a soldier rescued a child in the aftermath of a air strike. The fourth example lists a conversion of a soldier and his selfless commitment towards the liberation of Korea. The essay ends with a reminder that the peace at home is not possible without the efforts from the "most beloved people".[1]

Impact[edit]

Described as smooth reading and moving,[1] the essay became instantly popular[3] in China after it was published on April 11, 1951 in the People's Daily newspaper.[4][5] The essay also earned praises from the top Chinese leaders.[1] Considered to be the most famous literary and propaganda piece produced in China during the Korean War,[1] the essay succeed in elevating the soldiers' low social status within the traditional Confucian culture,[3] and it helped to boost the recuitment of soldiers for Korea.[3] In the decades following the essay's publication, the phrase "Most Beloved People" has become synonymous with the PVA,[6] while the essay has become required reading in Chinese school curriculum.[1][3][6]

Notes[edit]

Citations
  1. ^ a b c d e f Zhang, p. 158.
  2. ^ Chinese Military Science Academy 2000, p. 107-108.
  3. ^ a b c d Mahoney 2001, p. 30.
  4. ^ Wei 1951.
  5. ^ Chinese Military Science Academy 2000, p. 107.
  6. ^ a b West, Levine & Hiltz 1998, p. 195.

References[edit]

  • West, Philip; Levine, Steven I.; Hiltz, Jackie (1998). America's wars in Asia: a cultural approach to history and memory. Armonk, New York: M.E. Sharpe. ISBN 0765602377.
  • Zhang, Hong (2002). The making of urban Chinese images of the United States, 1945-1953. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press. ISBN 0313310017.
  • Mahoney, Kevin (2001). Formidable enemies : the North Korean and Chinese Soldier in the Korean War. Novato, CA: Presidio Press. ISBN 9780891417385.
  • (in Chinese) Chinese Military Science Academy (Sept. 2000). History of War to Resist America and Aid Korea (抗美援朝战争史). Vol. Volume II. Beijing: Chinese Military Science Academy Publishing House. ISBN 7-80137-390-1. {{cite book}}: |volume= has extra text (help); Check date values in: |publication-date= (help)
  • (in Chinese) Wei, Wei (魏巍) (1951-04-11). "Who are the Most Beloved People? (谁是最可爱的人)". Beijing: People's Daily. Retrieved 2009-11-20.
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