Republican Fever

Republican Fever^[1] (simplified Chinese: 民国热; traditional Chinese: 民國熱; pinyin: Mínguó Rè) refers to a 21st-century cultural phenomenon in mainland China that expresses nostalgia and praise for of the Republic of China (1912–1949). Some cultural-related industries and ideological fields within mainland China have expressed some forms of this sentiment.^[2]: 50

Origin

While the rise of 'Republican Fever' in mainland China is considered to have occurred around 2010, it can be traced back to the 1990s, when mainland Chinese scholars began to reflect on the established CCP view of ROC history.^[3]

A 2007 report in the China Youth Daily described the "Republican Fever" in the publishing industry in mainland China.^[4] Since 2010, the modern mainland had a wide audience of Republican Fever, with a positive view of the Republic of China (1912–1949) (ROC0, and an interest in the political figures and academic masters of the period. ROC-era related cultural products became abundant, with the Internet, movies and TV dramas, and publications as the main channels of dissemination.^[2]: 50

Reaction

Criticisms of 'Republican Fever' from the People's Republic of China (PRC) include, firstly, the promotion of historical nihilism and the vilification of the Chinese Communist Party and the government of the PRC; secondly, the satirizing of the past with the use of Spring and Autumn brushstrokes; and, thirdly, the use of this issue as a tool for attacking the political system of the PRC. 'Republican Fever' eventually leads to the denial of the legitimacy of the PRC representing China.^[2]: 50

'Republican Fever' can refer to general romanticization of the Republic of China without ideological opposition to the PRC, and the PRC has begun rehabilitating the legacy of the ROC within mainland China. The 2009 movie sponsored by the Chinese Communist Party, The Founding of a Republic, moved away from casting Chiang Kai-shek as 'evil' versus Mao Zedong, and emphasizing instead that the contingencies of war led the communists to victory.^[5]

See also

• Kàngrì
• Pro–Republic of China sentiment