May Fourth Movement 1919 in Zhejiang

Abstract

This article discusses little-known aspects of the May Fourth Movement of 4 May 1919 in the Chinese province. Traditionally, the May Fourth Movement and the connected New Culture Movement and the Literary Revolution are associated with Beijing and Shanghai. However, one of the most important intellectual centers of China at that time was Hangzhou, a city with close economic links to Shanghai. Radical students in Zhejiang in 1919-1920 were active in publishing, and the New Tide magazine they published was in demand in China's largest cities, and solidified the status of Zhejiang as the vanguard of revolution. Looking closely at this collision, we may easily ascertain that the traditional Confucian society during an opportunistic economic upturn caused by World War I was fueling radicalism and at the same time was the object of their struggle. Anarchism was the key ideology of the May Fourth Movement in Zhejiang. A special role in these events is played by Jing Hengyi (1877-1938) and Shi Cuntong (1898-1970), sons of rich landowners who were able to afford publishing and had spare time for intellectual discourse. Realizing the political immaturity of the masses, the Zhejiang radicals focused on publishing rather than on political manifestations.