Collection context
Summary
- Title:
- Lin Zhao 林昭 papers
- Dates:
- 1934-1982
- Creators:
- Lin, Zhao, 1932-1968
- Abstract:
- The Lin Zhao 林昭 papers (1934-1982) contain letters and diaries written in prison; photographs; posthumous rehabilitation documents and printed matter relating to political prisoners in China; and memoriabilia from her time in prison.
- Extent:
- 2 manuscript boxes, 1 oversize box (1.4 Linear Feet)
- Language:
- Chinese
- Preferred citation:
-
[Identification of item], Lin Zhao 林昭 papers, [Box no., Folder no. or title], Hoover Institution Library & Archives.
Background
- Scope and content:
-
Lin Zhao 林昭 (Lin Chao), the nom de guerre of Chinese political activist, Peng Lingzhao 彭令昭 (1932-1968), was arrested for her criticisms of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) during the Anti-Rightist Campaign in 1958; she spent most of the following decade in prison until her execution in Shanghai in April 1968, at the height of the Cultural Revolution.
Initially an ardent supporter of the CCP, Lin took part in the agrarian reform movement following the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949. By the time she began her studies at Beijing University in the early 1950s, she had begun to question the Party's treatment of its opponents and sought reform from within. When the Hundred Flowers Campaign (1956-1957) encouraged intellectuals to voice criticisms of the government, Lin and many of her acquaintances at the university took part. Soon, however, the government changed its course; as it began to crack down on those expressions of dissent, Lin was swept up in the subsequent Anti-Rightist Movement and eventually imprisoned as a result of her outspoken critiques. During her imprisonment she composed the writings for which she is well known today, including the "blood letters," which she wrote or signed in own blood. In the decades since her rehabilitation, Lin has gained attention not only in China but internationally, partly owing to the 2005 documentary film by the Chinese filmmaker, Hu Jie 胡杰, In Search of Lin Zhao's Soul, which chronicled her life and examined her legacy.
The Lin Zhao papers consist primarily of a series of diaries and open letters written between 1965 and 1968. In the later years of her life, she compiled an extensive collection of prison writings, some in her own blood, detailing her grievances with the government and her demands for political reform. Although most of these writings have long since disappeared, a small collection of the original prison diaries and letters were returned to Lin's family after her posthumous rehabilitation by the Chinese government in 1981. Those materials were generously donated by her sister, Peng Lingfan 彭令范, along with family photographs of Lin Zhao. These materials, form the basis of the Lin Zhao papers at Hoover, which was opened on October 26, 2009, the first such collection of her papers made publicly available to students and scholars at an academic archive. These materials provide researchers with a firsthand look at this intriguing, controversial, and courageous personality whose life continues to generate interest among students of recent Chinese history.
The 2025 increment contains intimate personal items related to Lin Zhao, including locks of her hair, a small boat she made from candy wrappers while in prison, materials concerning her boyfriend, photographs and negatives of Lin and her classmates, items taken from her tomb (such as ash, hair, and a 1968 newspaper), and a 1966 food coupon.
- Biographical / historical:
-
Date Event 1932 December 12 Born, as Peng Lingzhao, in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China.1943-1949 Attended Cuiying Private Secondary School and Jinghai Women's Teachers College in Suzhou1950 August - 1952 May Participated in the Sunan rural land reform movement1954 Admitted to Peking University's (PKU) School of Journalism where she was editor of the Poetry Society's PKU Poetry Journal1957 Condemned to three years of labor reeducation camp1960 Spring Allowed to return to Shanghai for medical treatment; founded Xinghuo magazine1960 October Accused of founding a counter-revolutionary group; arrested and detained at Shanghai Number One Detention House, Shanghai Number Two Detention House and Shanghai Municipal Jail1962 Spring Released on bail for medical rehabilitation1962 December Incarcerated a second time in Shanghai, China. Staged multiple hunger strikes and attempted suicide while in prison1965 May 31 Condemned to 20 years of imprisonment1968 April 29 Executed, Shanghai Airport, China - Acquisition information:
- Acquired by the Hoover Institution Library Archives in 2009.
- Arrangement:
-
The papers are arranged by type of material, as they were received from the donor.
- Physical location:
- Hoover Institution Library & Archives
- Rules or conventions:
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Indexed terms
About this collection guide
Access and use
- Restrictions:
-
Users must sign use agreement. Originals closed for Box 1; there is digitized content available. Box 3 may not be used without permission of the Archivist. The remainder of the collection is open for research. Materials must be requested in advance via our reservation system. If there are audiovisual or digital media material in the collection, they must be reformatted before providing access.
- Terms of access:
-
One folder at a time. No photography. For copyright status, please contact the Hoover Institution Library & Archives.
- Preferred citation:
-
[Identification of item], Lin Zhao 林昭 papers, [Box no., Folder no. or title], Hoover Institution Library & Archives.
- Location of this collection:
-
Hoover Institution Library & Archives, Stanford UniversityStanford, CA 94305-6003, US
- Contact:
- (650) 723-3563