Jiang Zhuying

Make many contributions to the Four Modernizations in the same manner as Jiang Zhuying, 1983

Make many contributions to the Four Modernizations in the same manner as Jiang Zhuying, 1983

Jiang Zhuying (蒋筑英, 1939-1982) was born in Hangzhou. Due to historical problems, his father was sent to a reform-through labor camp in 1954, but this did not stop Jiang from pursuing his studies in physics and optics. After his graduation from Peking University, where he took English, Russian, German, Japanese and French as minor courses, he was transferred to Changchun, Jilin Province, in 1965. There, he was involved in various scientific breakthroughs in optics, his speciality.

In the 1970s, he was instrumental in bringing Chinese color television technology up to world levels. After his death in 1982 from exhaustion, the Changchun Municipal government accorded him model status. In 1983, he played a major role in the propaganda campaign that was aimed at intellectuals. Not only was he presented as someone who, despite prosecution in the past, had given his life for the nation, but his death was also used to impress middle and lower ranking cadres that they should implement the new policies aimed at improving the working conditions, social position and welfare of the intellectuals whose contributions were so urgently needed to make the modernization policies successful.

Register of Heroes of the Four Modernizations, 1984

Register of Heroes of the Four Modernizations, 1984

Shao Wu et al. (eds), 共和国群英谱 [Gongheguo qunyingpu - Register of heroes of the Republic] (Beijing: Zhongguo shaonian ertong chubanshe, 2003)

Xu Yan, 80 wei gongchandang rende gushi [The stories of 80 Communist Party personages] (Beijing: Jiefangjun wenyi chubanshe, 2001) [in Chinese]