Five Red Categories

The "Five Red Categories" (simplified Chinese: 红五类; traditional Chinese: 紅五類; pinyin: Hóngwǔlèi) during China's Cultural Revolution (1966–76) were the social classes favoured by the Communist Party of China, as opposed to the Five Black Categories that were classified as potential threats or enemies. In the beginning of the Cultural Revolution, Red Guards were only allowed to come from the "Five Red Categories". These included:

• Poor and lower-middle peasants (Chinese: 贫下中农)
• Workers (Chinese: 工人)
• Revolutionary soldiers (Chinese: 革命军人) within the People's Liberation Army
• Revolutionary cadres (Chinese: 革命干部)[1][2] who are active members of the CPC in good standing
• Revolutionary martyrs (Chinese: 革命烈士), including immediate family members, children, grandchildren (if any) and relatives of deceased CPC members and PLA service personnel killed in action[1][3]

See also

• Five Black Categories
• Stinking Old Ninth

References

1. Cao, Pei. "文革中的我和我家". Chinese University of Hong Kong. Retrieved June 30, 2020.
2. Luo, Weinian (May 16, 2016). 红墙: 文革五十周年纪实文集 (in Chinese). 世界华语出版社. ISBN 978-1-940266-10-7.
3. Yang, Jishen (July 4, 2017). 天地翻覆: 中国文化大革命历史 (in Chinese). 天地图书.

Further readings

• Sullivan, Lawrence R. (2012). Historical Dictionary of the Chinese Communist Party. The Scarecrow Press. p. 104.