文革

Wéngé

proper noun

Meanings

1 Cultural Revolution (1966-1976)
2 abbreviation of 文化大革命 (Wénhuà Dà Gémìng)

Characters

culture; literature

to change; revolution (from 革命)

Examples

HSK 5

我爷爷在文革期间被下放到农村。

Wǒ yéye zài Wéngé qījiān bèi xiàfàng dào nóngcūn.

My grandfather was sent down to the countryside during the Cultural Revolution.

HSK 5

很多家庭至今还不愿谈起文革的经历。

Hěnduō jiātíng zhìjīn hái bú yuàn tánqǐ Wéngé de jīnglì.

Many families still don't want to talk about their experiences during the Cultural Revolution.

Tips

history

Launched by Mao Zedong (毛泽东) in May 1966, it lasted until 1976. Universities closed and the Red Guards (红卫兵) attacked the 'Four Olds' (四旧: old customs, culture, habits and ideas). In its 1981 resolution on Party history, the Communist Party of China called it a period of internal turmoil (内乱).

register

The full form 文化大革命 is more formal and historical; 文革 is the everyday abbreviation. Formal writing also calls the period 十年动乱 'the ten years of turmoil'.

Stroke Order

文 wén

革 gé