1976
Sunflowers were a common theme in propaganda posters during the Cultural Revolution. Propaganda images would often depict Chairman Mao as the sun and the citizens in the People’s Republic of China as sunflowers turning towards their chairman. The image of sunflowers became a symbol of the Cultural Revolution because of the opening number in the 1965 film “The East Is Red.” The opening song, “Sunflowers Face the Sun” is an elaborate song and dance that praises Chairman Mao’s love for his people and his devotion to leading the Chinese to a new and prosperous China.
