1960s – 1970s
“The East Is Red” (东方红) is a Chinese revolutionary song that served as the de facto national anthem of the People’s Republic of China during the Cultural Revolution. The song was written in 1942, and the lyrics of “The East Is Red” are attributed to Li Youyuan (李有源) and the melody was derived from a northern Shaanxi folk song. Allegedly, Li Youyuan was inspired to write the song after seeing the sunrise one sunny morning.
In 1965, “The East Is Red” was incorporated into a Chinese film bearing the same name. The film “The East Is Red” is a song and dance epic that dramatizes the history of the beginnings of the Revolution and the Chinese Communist Party under Mao Zedong. The film follows the change in Chinese politics from the May Fourth Movement until the founding of the People’s Republic of China, which was formally proclaimed by Mao Zedong, Chairman of the CCP, in Tiananmen Square.
