Specifically, I am referring to destruction of ancient structures, artworks, sculptures, temples, buildings and so forth. As a non-specialist, the two eras seem to have a lot in common. Did both periods of destruction lead to a similar volume of destruction of priceless artifacts, or did one period cause more loss than the other? What are some further examples of such cultural destruction in the last 100 years? How do they compare? Any suggestions or ideas will be greatly appreciated, thanks.
For clarification purposes, I will not be comparing the Cultural Revolution to Islamic State. This is for two reasons:
Instead, I'll discuss one case study in Shandong Province, which will hopefully give you a sort of an idea as to the extent of loss of what the study calls "historical capital."
It is well known that the Cultural Revolution led to the damage and/or destruction of numerous artifacts and historical sites. This was done under the justification of destroying the "Four Olds," namely "old ideas, cultures, customs, and habits." An article discussing popular violence during the Cultural Revolution had this to say:
Numerous ancient sites and historical relics were damaged due to being "Four Olds." Churches and abbeys were attacked, and the nuns and monks were expelled. The old names of streets, schools, department stores, and product brands were changed to revolutionary ones; for example, Yangwei ("raise power/prestige") Road, where the Russian embassy was located, was renamed Fanxiu ("Anti-revisionism") Road. "Bourgeois tastes" were also included within the scope of "sweeping away." "Bourgeois bizarre attire" (zichanjieji qi zhuang yi fu), such as close-fitting or wide trouser legs, pointed-toe or high-heeled shoes, or long hair, were attacked. People in such attire not only were stopped on the streets and criticized, but also often were "revolutionized" - the high heels or pointed toes of shoes were cut off; trousers were destroyed with scissors; long hair was clipped on the streets or in barber shops. The ordinary lives of numerous Chinese people were threatened and disrupted.^^1
But what happened in Shandong?
Originally, when the Chinese Communist Party (henceforth, the CCP) took over the region, numerous historical sites were seized and placed under state protection. After 1961, after Liu Shaoqui and Deng Xiaoping came to power in the aftermath of the Great Leap Forward, they passed Provisional Regulations on the Protection and Administration of the Cultural Heritage, which "established principles for central and local enforcement of artifact protection measures, and a ranking system for recognized antiquities."^^2 Eight historical sites in Shandong were considered "high-level" historical sites; undoubtedly, there were numerous lower-leveled historical sites and antiquities on said list. A number of museums were also opened, which helped to preserve additional buildings.
This changed with the Cultural Revolution. Due to the "Four Olds" campaign, numerous historical sites lost state protection, therefore opening them up to attack and destruction. Of note, about one dozen of historical sites were recognized and protected by the state by the mid-1970s; by comparison, in 1977, this extended to 148 protected provincial sites. Some artifacts may have been saved by a directive passed in 1967, which specified that some sites and artifacts "be retained as 'bad examples.'"^^2 However, countless sites and artifacts were destroyed due to the chaos in the 1960s.
Similar stories can be found throughout China. For example, in Harbin, Heilongjiang province, rebel groups would destroy Saint Nicholas Russian Orthodox Church and ransacked the Jile Temple.^^3 In Beijing, 4992 cultural sites (out of an original 6843 sites set aside in 1958) were destroyed.^^4 As such, the case study I just laid out is not at all unusual.
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