Part Two: The Mao Years 1949–1976

The story

The trilogy continues with The Mao Years, a look at the next period of modern China’s history: Mao Zedong’s rule, from 1949 to his death in 1976. The film begins with the celebrations marking the establishment of the People’s Republic of China, a moment of great hope for millions of Chinese. But the quarter-century of Mao’s rule was as turbulent as the decades which preceded it. Interludes of relative calm and increased prosperity were interrupted repeatedly by violent campaigns, purges, and a famine in which killed more than 30 million people. It culminated in Mao’s colossal and tragic experiment, the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution. When Mao died in 1976, people were exhausted by the turmoil and longed for stability.

In the same saga

China: A Century of Revolution

In release order

Part One: China in Revolution 1911–1949

1989

This film

Part Two: The Mao Years 1949–1976

1994

Part Three: Born Under the Red Flag 1976–1997

1997