Li Zhensheng (photojournalist) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Li Zhensheng 李振盛
Li Zhensheng
Born	(1940-09-22)September 22, 1940 Dalian
Died	June 2020 (aged 79–80) New York
Nationality	Chinese

Li Zhensheng (Chinese: 李振盛; pinyin: Lǐ Zhènshèng; 22 September 1940 – June 2020) was a Chinese photojournalist. He took many important pictures during a time in China called the Cultural Revolution. This period lasted from 1966 to 1976.

Li worked for the Heilongjiang Daily newspaper. He wore a special red armband. This armband showed he supported Chairman Mao Zedong. Because of this, he could go to places and photograph events that others could not.

His 2003 book, Red-Color News Soldier, shows both the goals of the revolution and the difficult events that happened. The newspaper he worked for only allowed "positive" pictures to be published. These usually showed smiling people praising Chairman Mao. Li secretly hid the "negative" pictures, which showed the harder parts of the time. He kept them under a floorboard in his home. He later shared these photos at an exhibition in 1988.

In 2017, a private museum opened in Sichuan Province. It is part of the Jianchuan Museum Cluster. This museum is dedicated to Li's life and his work.

Li Zhensheng: Photographer of History

Early Life and Learning Photography

Li Zhensheng was born in 1940 in Dalian, China. His family was poor. His mother passed away when he was three years old. His older brother, who was a soldier, died during the Chinese Civil War.

Li helped his father, who worked as a cook and later as a farmer. Li started school later than most kids. But he worked hard and became the best in his class. He later went to the Changchun Film School. There, he learned a lot about photography.

In 1963, he briefly worked at the Heilongjiang Daily newspaper. However, a movement called the Socialist Education Movement sent him back to the countryside. For almost two years, Li lived with farmers and studied Chairman Mao's ideas.

Documenting the Cultural Revolution

Li returned to Harbin just a few months before the Cultural Revolution began in 1966. It was hard to take photos then. There wasn't much film. Also, groups called Red Guards were everywhere. It was also against the rules to photograph anything negative about the revolution.

Li soon realized that only people wearing the red armband of the Red Guards could take pictures without trouble. So, he started his own small Red Guard group at the newspaper. This allowed him to photograph many events.

Li took pictures of many difficult acts. His collection shows how the Red Guards treated people they thought were against the revolution. Some photos show public "denunciations." In these, people's hair was shaved. Other pictures show people wearing tall "dunce" hats. Some had black paint on their faces. Others wore signs around their necks that criticized them. Li also photographed public executions of people who were never given a fair trial.

In September 1969, Li was sent back to the countryside again. He went to a labor camp called the May 7th Cadre School. He and his wife, Zu Yingxia, worked hard there for two years.

Saving His Secret Photos

Li had carefully hidden the "negative" photos he took. He kept them under a floorboard in his small apartment. The dry weather in Harbin helped keep the photo negatives safe. When he was sent away, Li asked a friend to look after his apartment. He told his friend not to tell anyone about the hidden photos.

Li returned to the newspaper in 1972. He became the head of the photography department. Later, in 1982, he became a professor at Peking University.

His Book: Red-Color News Soldier

Li's famous book, Red-Color News Soldier, was published in 2003. The title comes from the Chinese words on the armband he wore. He said wearing the armband gave him special access to important events. These events greatly shaped Chinese culture.

The book covers the time from 1965, just before the Cultural Revolution, to 1976, just after it. It is divided into five parts based on time periods.

Sharing His Work with the World

The book Red-Color News Soldier has not been published in China. Li's "negative" pictures were first shown in public in March 1988. This was at a photography competition in Beijing. The show was called Let History Tell the Future. It had twenty of his photos. Some people thought these photos were "counterrevolutionary."

In December 1988, Li met Robert Pledge. He was a photography editor from New York City. They agreed to work on a book of Li's photos. But they decided to wait until the political situation was right. Seven months later, in June 1989, the events of Tiananmen Square happened. This made Li even more determined to create a book. He wanted to show the world the images from the Cultural Revolution.

Work on the book started in 1999. Li and Pledge had to use translators because they spoke different languages. Li sent over 30,000 brown envelopes to Pledge's office. Each envelope contained photographic negatives.

Self-Portraits and His Message

Many of the images in the book are self-portraits of Li. He often had one extra photo left on his film roll. He would use this last shot to take a picture of himself. This was a way to be ready for any sudden news event. His self-portraits were often funny and playful. One picture shows Li with his bare chest. He said he was trying to show the old saying about "facing problems bravely."

During his book tours, Li always spoke about his love for China. He said he disagreed with the government sometimes. But he still loved his country. He hoped that democracy might come to China in the future. He believed his photos and book were not against China. Instead, they were a reminder of a difficult past that many countries experience as they grow.

Death

Li Zhensheng passed away in June 2020.

See also

In Spanish: Li Zhensheng para niños