Event Archive
One page per event, with methodology for every figure.
Founding of the Chinese Communist Party
1921
- Time: July 23 – early August 1921 (opened July 23 in Shang…
- Place: 106 Wangzhi Road, French Concession, Shanghai (now 7…
- Founding of the CCP (1921)
Purges and Repression in the Soviets
1927–1937
- Time: 1930–1934 (peak: 1930–1931)
- Place: Central Soviet (Ruijin, Xingguo, Yudu in Jiangxi); a…
- Decided by: Li Lisan (overall line); Mao Zedong (First Front Arm…
- Purges in the Soviets (1927–1937)
Yan'an Rectification Movement
1942–1945
- Time: February 1942–1945 (main phase 1942–1944)
- Place: Yan'an, Shaan-Gan-Ning Border Region and other base…
- Decided by: Mao Zedong (initiator); Kang Sheng (head of the Soci…
- Yan'an Rectification Movement (1942–1945)
Land Reform Pilots and Repression during the Civil War
1946–1949
- Time: May 1946 – 1949 (peak: 1947–1948)
- Place: Jin-Cha-Ji, Jin-Ji-Lu-Yu, Northeast and other libera…
- Decided by: Mao Zedong (May Fourth Directive, overall line); Liu…
- Land Reform Pilots and Repression in the Civil War (1946–1949)
Land Reform Movement
1947–1952
- Time: July 1947–1953 (main phase 1950–1952; North China ba…
- Place: Rural China nationwide (by 1953 largely complete exc…
- Decided by: Mao Zedong (overall decision-maker, author of the la…
- Land Reform Movement (1947–1952)
Founding Ceremony of the PRC
1949
- Time: 3:00 PM, October 1, 1949
- Place: Tiananmen Square, Beijing
- Founding Ceremony (1949)
Campaign to Suppress Counterrevolutionaries
1950–1953
- Time: October 1950 – 1953 (peak: February–May 1951)
- Place: Nationwide, urban and rural
- Decided by: Mao Zedong (overall); Liu Shaoqi (in charge); Luo Ru…
- Suppression of Counterrevolutionaries
The Korean War · China Intervenes
1950–1953
- Time: 19 October 1950 crossing – 27 July 1953 armistice (withdrawal completed 1958)
- Place: Korean Peninsula; the Yalu, Chosin Reservoir, Triangle Hill, Panmunjom
- Decided by: Mao Zedong (intervention decision); Peng Dehuai (CPV commander); USSR arms loans and a secret air corps
- China's secret entry and the three-year war in full: some 30,000 frostbite casualties at Chosin, the Soviet Union's secret air war, and 14,235 of 21,374 Chinese POWs choosing Taiwan — with the death toll in three accountings. New chapters: the former Nationalist rank and file, the 50th Army and the 180th Division's destruction; the returnees' Changtu screening and the 1980 rehabilitation.
Three-Anti and Five-Anti Campaigns
1951–1952
- Time: Three-Anti: Dec 1951–Apr 1952; Five-Anti: Jan–Jun 19…
- Place: Nationwide; focused on major cities and industrial c…
- Decided by: Mao Zedong (initiator); Liu Shaoqi, Zhou Enlai; Bo Y…
- Three-Anti/Five-Anti (1951–1952)
The Laogai and Laojiao Systems
1954–2013
- Time: 1954 (Laogai Regulations) – December 2013 (laojiao a…
- Place: Nationwide; laogai farms and factories in every prov…
- Decided by: Mao Zedong (founder of the system); Luo Ruiqing (Pub…
- Reform through labor and re-education through labor: six decades…
The Anti-Hu Feng Campaign and the 1955 Sufan
1955
- Time: January 1955–October 1957 (Anti-Hu Feng: Jan–Jun 195…
- Place: Nationwide, focused on literary circles, Party and g…
- Decided by: Mao Zedong (personally directed, wrote editorials);…
- The Anti-Hu Feng Campaign and the 1955 Sufan
Socialist Transformation of Industry and Commerce
1955–1956
- Time: 1953–1956 (peak: late 1955–early 1956; fixed-interes…
- Place: Cities nationwide, led by Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin…
- Decided by: Mao Zedong (author of the transitional general line)…
- Socialist Transformation of Industry and Commerce (1955–1956)
Anti-Rightist Campaign
1957
- Time: June 1957 – 1958 (make-up into 1958)
- Place: Nationwide; universities, government organs, media h…
- Decided by: Mao Zedong ("luring snakes" architect); Deng Xiaopin…
- Anti-Rightist Campaign (1957)
Great Famine
1958–1962
- Time: 1958–1962 (1958 Great Leap Forward as prelude)
- Place: Nationwide; worst: Sichuan, Anhui, Henan (Xinyang),…
- Decided by: Mao Zedong (initiator); Liu Shaoqi, Zhou Enlai, Deng…
- Great Famine (1958-1962): man-made disaster of the Great Leap Fo…
Great Leap Forward
1958–1962
- Time: 1958–1962 (peak 1958–1960)
- Place: Nationwide; the steel campaign and communes covered…
- Decided by: Mao Zedong (initiator); Liu Shaoqi, Zhou Enlai, Deng…
- The Great Leap Forward (1958-1962): Mao's campaign of the Genera…
Lushan Conference & the Fall of Peng Dehuai
1959
- Time: July 2–August 16, 1959 (46 days); 8th Plenum of the…
- Place: Lushan, Jiangxi (enlarged Politburo session, followe…
- Decided by: Mao Zedong (engineered the reversal); Peng Dehuai (a…
- Lushan Conference & the Fall of Peng Dehuai (1959)
1959 Tibetan Uprising and Subsequent Control
- Time: March 10–23, 1959 (armed conflict); subsequent contr…
- Place: Lhasa and Tibetan regions (guerrilla war had already…
- Decided by: Mao Zedong (CCP Chairman, CMC Chairman); Liu Shaoqi…
- 1959 Tibetan Uprising and Subsequent Control
Four Cleanups Movement
1963–1966
- Time: May 1963–1966 (largely ended 1965; phased out after…
- Place: Nationwide urban and rural, covering about one-third…
- Decided by: Mao Zedong (initiator); Liu Shaoqi (headed the "Four…
- Four Cleanups Movement (1963–1966)
Cultural Revolution
1966–1976
- Time: May 1966 – October 1976 (Mao's death; Gang of Four a…
- Place: Nationwide; worst in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangxi, Gua…
- Decided by: Mao Zedong (initiator); Lin Biao, Jiang Qing, Kang S…
- Cultural Revolution (1966–1976): Red Guards, armed factional war…
The "Inner People's Party" Purge in Inner Mongolia
1967-1969
- Time: November 1967 - 1969 (peak in 1968); rehabilitated a…
- Place: Throughout the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region
- Decided by: Teng Haiqing (Inner Mongolia Military District comma…
- The 1967-69 'dig-out' campaign in Inner Mongolia: Teng Haiqing t…
April Fifth Movement
1976
- Time: Late March – April 5, 1976 (crackdown: April 5)
- Place: Tiananmen Square, Beijing; also Nanjing, Hangzhou, Z…
- Decided by: Mao Zedong (acquiesced); Hua Guofeng, Wu De (cleared…
- April Fifth Movement (1976)
Democracy Wall Movement
1978–1979
- Time: November 1978 – December 1979 (peak: Nov 1978 – Mar…
- Place: Xidan Democracy Wall, Beijing; also Shanghai, Guangz…
- Decided by: Deng Xiaoping (used then crushed); Hu Yaobang (sympa…
- Democracy Wall (1978–1979)
One-Child Policy
1980–2015
- Time: September 1980–October 2015 (Open Letter issued Sept…
- Place: Nationwide. Strictly enforced in cities; rural areas…
- Decided by: Deng Xiaoping (top decision-maker), Chen Yun (suppor…
- One-Child Policy (1980–2015)
"Strike Hard" Campaign
1983–1987
- Time: August 1983–January 1987 (three years and five month…
- Place: Nationwide
- Decided by: Deng Xiaoping (CMC Chairman, chief backer); Peng Zhe…
- "Strike Hard" Campaign (1983–1987)
1987–1989 Lhasa Protests and Martial Law
- Time: September 27, 1987 – March 1989 (protests); March 8,…
- Place: Lhasa, Tibet Autonomous Region (centered on the Bark…
- Decided by: Li Peng (Premier, signed the March 7, 1989 Lhasa mar…
- In September 1987 Drepung monks marched in support of the Dalai…
June Fourth Incident
1989
- Time: April 15 – June 4, 1989 (crackdown: night of June 3…
- Place: Tiananmen Square and Chang'an Avenue, Beijing; also…
- Decided by: Deng Xiaoping (final decision to deploy troops); Li…
- June Fourth Incident (1989)
Suppression of Falun Gong
1999–
- Time: July 20, 1999 – present
- Place: Nationwide; labor camps, prisons, "transformation cl…
- Decided by: Jiang Zemin (overall); Li Lanqing, Luo Gan (executio…
- Falun Gong Crackdown (1999–)
Charter 08
2008
- Time: Published December 10, 2008; repression ongoing
- Place: China (centered in Beijing, nationwide signatures);…
- Published December 10, 2008; repression ongoing
2008 Tibetan Protests
March 2008
- Time: March 10–June 2008 (main phase March 10–April)
- Place: Lhasa, Tibet Autonomous Region; Tibetan areas of Nga…
- Decided by: Hu Jintao (CCP General Secretary, President); Zhang…
- 2008 Tibetan Protests (March 2008)
Inner Mongolia Protests
2011, 2020
- Time: May 10–June 2011; August 31–September 2020
- Place: Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region: Xilin Gol League (…
- Decided by: 2011: Hu Chunhua, then Party chief of Inner Mongolia…
- Inner Mongolia Protests (2011, 2020)
2011 Chinese Jasmine Rallies
- Time: February 20 – March 20, 2011 (every Sunday at 2pm)
- Place: Beijing's Wangfujing, Shanghai's People's Square and…
- Decided by: Hu Jintao (ordered tighter internet control at the J…
- 2011 Chinese Jasmine Rallies
Southern Weekly New Year Editorial Incident
2013
- Time: January 3–9, 2013 (core clash Jan 3–7; the rewriting…
- Place: Guangzhou (Nanfang Media Group HQ, street protests o…
- Decided by: Tuo Zhen (Guangdong Party Standing Committee member,…
- Southern Weekly New Year Editorial Incident (2013)
Hong Kong Umbrella Movement
2014
- Time: Evening of Sept 26 – Dec 15, 2014 (occupation Sept 2…
- Place: Hong Kong: Tamar/Admiralty (government HQ), Causeway…
- Decided by: Crackdown: Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying, Police C…
- Hong Kong Umbrella Movement (2014)
709 Crackdown
2015
- Time: July 9, 2015 – 2017 (Wang Quanzhang's 2019 sentencin…
- Place: Nationwide; Beijing's Fengrui Law Firm as focus
- Decided by: Ministry of Public Security (executor); Fu Zhenghua…
- 709 Crackdown (2015)
Xinjiang
2017–
- Time: 2017–present (peak: 2017–2019)
- Place: Across the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region
- Decided by: Chen Quanguo (Party chief 2016–2021); Zhu Hailun (po…
- 2017–present (peak: 2017–2019)
The Jasic Workers' Movement, Shenzhen
2018
- Time: May–November 2018 (peak: July 27–August 24)
- Place: Jasic Technology factory, Pingshan, Shenzhen, Guangd…
- Decided by: Shenzhen and Pingshan public security; Guangdong pro…
- The Jasic Workers' Movement, Shenzhen (2018)
2018 Constitutional Amendment Removing Presidential Term Limits
- Time: March 11, 2018 (vote); September 2017–March 2018 (pr…
- Place: Great Hall of the People, Beijing — first session of…
- Decided by: Xi Jinping (initiator, CCP General Secretary); Zhang…
- 2018 Constitutional Amendment Removing Presidential Term Limits
Hong Kong Anti-Extradition Movement
2019
- Time: March – December 2019 (peak: June–November)
- Place: Across Hong Kong
- Decided by: Carrie Lam (pushed the bill); John Lee (security chi…
- Hong Kong Anti-Extradition (2019)
COVID Lockdowns
2020–2022
- Time: January 23, 2020 (Wuhan lockdown) – December 7, 2022…
- Place: Nationwide; Wuhan, Shanghai, Xi'an, Zhengzhou, Ürümq…
- Decided by: Xi Jinping ("dynamic zero-COVID," "personal command"…
- COVID Lockdowns (2020–2022)
12 Hongkongers Intercepted at Sea
2020
- Time: Intercepted August 23, 2020; sentenced December 30,…
- Place: Waters southeast of Hong Kong (Chinese waters); Yant…
- Decided by: Guangdong Coast Guard (interception); Yantian Distri…
- 12 Hongkongers Intercepted at Sea (2020)
Guizhou Bus Crash
2022
- Time: 2:40 AM, September 18, 2022 (per official notice)
- Place: Sanli Expressway (Guiyang to Libo direction), Sandu…
- Decided by: Hu Zhongxiong, Guiyang Party Secretary (ordered the…
- Guizhou Bus Crash (2022)
Sitong Bridge Incident
2022
- Time: October 13, 2022
- Place: Sitong Bridge, Haidian, Beijing
- Sitong Bridge (2022)
The Ürümqi Fire
2022
- Time: November 24, 2022, 7:49 p.m.–10:35 p.m. (fire exting…
- Place: Building 8, Jixiangyuan compound, Tianshan District,…
- Decided by: Ürümqi Party committee and municipal government (enf…
- The Ürümqi Fire (2022)
White Paper Movement
2022
- Time: November 24, 2022 (fire) – November 26–28 (nationwid…
- Place: Ürümqi (trigger); Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Chen…
- White Paper Movement (2022)