Overthrow the King of Hell, Liberate the Little Ghosts
(March 30, 1966)
Overthrow the King of Hell, Liberate the Little Ghosts. [1]
Notes:
Printed in the People’s Daily on August 13, 1966.
[1] This was a remark made by Mao Zedong on March 30, 1966, during a discussion in the western suburbs of Shanghai concerning academic criticism. In that conversation, he stated: “Articles on academic criticism should not be submitted for approval. You are the Palace of the King of Hell; the little ghosts will not come to your door. Overthrow the King of Hell and liberate the little ghosts!” He had long maintained that when the central authorities were wrong, the localities should challenge them. At the September Working Conference held the previous year, he specifically addressed this point, asserting that if the central leadership adopted revisionist policies, the localities must rise up in rebellion. The phrase “Overthrow the King of Hell, Liberate the Little Ghosts” was later included as a quotation from Chairman Mao and published in the People’s Daily on August 13, 1966.