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Comments on Peng Zhen’s Speech at the Conference for Viewing and Studying Modern Peking Opera Performances (July 23, 1964) To Comrade Peng Zhen: This document [2] has been read; the speech is very good. — Mao Zedong, July 23rd.

Printed from the handwritten draft. Notes

[1] Peng Zhen was then a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and a secretary of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee.

[2] Refers to the edited transcript of Peng Zhen’s speech delivered on July 1, 1964, at the conference for viewing and studying modern Peking opera performances.
The main points are as follows: 1. Peking Opera must be reformed—there is no alternative but to reform it successfully.
How should this be done? (a) It should serve socialism, not feudalism or capitalism. (b) It should serve the broad masses of workers, peasants, and soldiers, not the “remnants” of the old society—the elderly and young aristocrats, as well as landlords, rich peasants, counter-revolutionaries, and rightists. (c) The focus should be on portraying living people, workers, peasants, and soldiers, and heroic figures, while reducing performances featuring dead characters or emperors, generals, and high-ranking officials. (d) The revolutionary ideological content of Peking Opera must be harmoniously integrated with its unique artistic style. (e) Strategically, we should remain confident and firmly believe that reform can be achieved; tactically, however, every detail must be taken very seriously—from the script and direction to the singing, and down to each scene, each act, each role, every line of singing, every spoken word, and every movement. 2. To ensure the successful reform of Peking Opera, two prerequisites are essential: (a) The playwrights, directors, and performers of Peking Opera must immerse themselves among workers, peasants, and soldiers, become one with them, and establish a close, flesh-and-blood bond with the masses. (b) The thinking of those working in Peking Opera must be revolutionized.