A Century of Student Movements in China

In this book the authors offer their unique perspectives on the important roles Chinese students and intellectuals played in the shaping of the twentieth-century China. Their answers to these pivotal questions explore new nationalistic spirit, modern world-views, and willingness of self-sacrifice, which had attributed to the spontaneous actions of the students as a “New Culture” emerged during the May Fourth Movement. These articles show how China nurtured these spontaneous student movements, even though the Nationalist Party in the Republic of China and the Communist Party in the People’s Republic had exerted tight control over schools. Both governments established organizations as well as operations among students that effectively turned some of the student movements into a political instrument by the parties for their own agenda.

“In dealing with a very important topic, the students' movement in China in the twentieth century, the editors have successfully put together a group of coherent essays written by very competent authors.”

In dealing with a very important topic, the students’ movement in China in the twentieth century, the editors have successfully put together a group of coherent essays written by very competent authors. -- Shiping Hua, University of Louisville
This stimulating collection of well-researched studies by Chinese historians in the United States significantly deepens our understanding of the impact and influence of Chinese student movements on Chinese history over the past century. It helps to reconceptualize our approach, expand our geographic focus beyond Shanghai and Beijing, and analyze the role of returned students in stimulating social movements. A Century of Student Movements in China: The Mountain Movers, 1919–2019 destroys the Communist Party of China’s self-serving myth that it was the uncontested leader of progressive student movements since the seminal May Fourth Movement. -- Steven I. Levine, University of Montana

Xiaobing Li is professor and chair of the Department of History and Geography and the director of the Western Pacific Institute at the University of Central Oklahoma.Qiang Fang is professor of East Asian history at the University of Minnesota Duluth.

In this book the authors offer their unique perspectives on the important roles Chinese students and intellectuals played in the shaping of the twentieth-century China. Their answers to these pivotal questions explore new nationalistic spirit, modern world-views, and willingness of self-sacrifice, which had attributed to the spontaneous actions of the students as a "New Culture" emerged during the May Fourth Movement. These articles show how China nurtured these spontaneous student movements, even though the Nationalist Party in the Republic of China and the Communist Party in the People's Republic had exerted tight control over schools. Both governments established organizations as well as operations among students that effectively turned some of the student movements into a political instrument by the parties for their own agenda.

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