Red Press Soldiers: A Photojournalist’s Secret Hidden Films of the Cultural Revolution/by Li Zhensheng

As a "Red News Soldier", photojournalist Li Zhensheng used his camera to record the various scenes of the Cultural Revolution. Among them were a large number of photos that should have been destroyed to "smear the Cultural Revolution." He hid nearly 20,000 negatives under the floor of his home, plus another 80,000 that he carefully preserved, preserving precious first-hand images of the Cultural Revolution. The publication of the Chinese version is the first time this book has been introduced to Chinese readers. Based on the English version, the Chinese version adds and replaces more than fifty photos, some of which have never been published before. The self-narrative part has been increased by nearly 20,000 words, showing richer historical details. On the other hand, the Chinese version strives to be a visual history book for Chinese people to read, so adjustments have been made to the arrangement and rhythm of the pictures, changing the taste and viewing experience of the entire book. Author: Li Zhensheng Publication date: July 2018 ISBN: 9789882370586 Decoration: Hardcover Language: Traditional Chinese Number of pages: 360 Dimensions: 260mm x 185mm **About the author** Li Zhensheng has been a photojournalist for Heilongjiang Daily since 1963. In 1982, he was the director of the News Photography Teaching and Research Section of the Journalism Department of the Beijing Institute of International Politics (later renamed the People's Police University of China). In 1996, he was invited to visit the United States by the Fairbank Center for East Asian Studies at Buddhism University. Lectures, lives in New York, and serves as editor-in-chief of the New York Chinese monthly "World Chinese" magazine. **recommend** "I was very moved by Li Zhensheng's "Red News Soldiers". We are all using our cameras to bear witness to history, and we are fellow travelers who record history. It is documentary photography that forged a friendship between us. As an anti-violence activist In the name of anarchists, I pay tribute to Li Zhensheng!" —Henri Cartier-Bresson (French photographer, known as the "Father of Modern Photojournalism") "The Lucy Award, which is engraved with the list of heroes such as Cartier-Bresson, Marc Riboud, Josef Koudelka, William Klein, etc., today added Li Zhensheng's name. He joins a group of masters who, in the eternal relationship between conscience and pain, use their cameras to keep human beings shocked by their own actions." —Chinese-American artist Chen Danqing’s award speech at the 11th Lucie Award Ceremony in the United States in 2013 "The memory of the clan, the lens of the country." —Fan Jianchuan, owner of Jianchuan Museum and founder of "Li Zhensheng Photography Museum" "Li Zhensheng's immortal collection is composed of photos of mass criticism, executions, and political fanaticism of the masses. Although he could not fully understand what happened at that time, he used his camera to record the collapse of a society, irrational rage, and crazy Worship and the loss of humanity. These photos have both important historical value and high artistic value. In fact, in a sense, Li Zhensheng is a hero in China today." —The New York Times "Li Zhensheng is an experienced news photographer, and the tens of thousands of Cultural Revolution photos he collected are very valuable. Because of these rare photos, Li Zhensheng left a historical witness with his own hands." —Time, US "Li Zhensheng provided a rare and powerful reminder and testimony about an incident that may have been forgotten." —Reader's Digest, USA "This batch of historical photos of the Cultural Revolution are "talking history" photos that make people ponder for a long time after seeing them. Each one is a story of blood and tears in an absurd era. Using "talking photos" to tell everyone the absurdity and cruelty of the Cultural Revolution is an image that cannot be conveyed by precipitated words. " —World Journal, USA "These photos of Li Zhensheng are harrowing and they form part of a unique visual archive." —The Times, UK "For a long time, Li Zhensheng has kept intact the tens of thousands of black-and-white negatives he took at that time. Today, these negatives are still there, intact and undamaged, which is of great historical significance." —Le Nouvel Observateur, France “These accounts survive because of extraordinary patience, and because of a courage that would have been easily lost in that storm.” —Le Monde, France "These irresistible images by Li Zhensheng give people a glimpse of what happened outside the picture, and become a testimony of an unprecedented history." —L'Humanité, France "'Red News Soldiers' powerfully embodies the importance of photography as a witness to the times." —Tages-Anzeiger, Switzerland "By hiding his photos, Li Zhensheng preserved a complete image of the Cultural Revolution." —Spanish newspaper El País "The large number of documentary photos of the Cultural Revolution owned by Li Zhensheng condense the fate of many people in that special era. The texture of the black and white photos can better reflect the thrilling era of the red era. A good photo is worth a thousand words." —Hong Kong's "Asia Weekly"