Chen Pixian (; March 20, 1916 – August 23, 1995) was a Chinese Communist revolutionary and politician. He served in several prominent roles, including party chief of
Shanghai
Shanghai (; , , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ) is one of the four direct-administered municipalities of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The city is located on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the Huangpu River flow ...
and party chief of
Hubei
Hubei (; ; alternately Hupeh) is a landlocked province of the People's Republic of China, and is part of the Central China region. The name of the province means "north of the lake", referring to its position north of Dongting Lake. The prov ...
province. He was purged at the beginning of the
Cultural Revolution
The Cultural Revolution, formally known as the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, was a sociopolitical movement in the People's Republic of China (PRC) launched by Mao Zedong in 1966, and lasting until his death in 1976. Its stated goal ...
but was later rehabilitated.
Biography
Chen Pixian was born in
Shanghang County
Shanghang (; hak, Sông-hông-yen) is a county in southwest Fujian Province, China, bordering Guangdong Province to the southwest. It is under the administration of the prefecture-level city of Longyan.
Transportation
Part of Shanghang County i ...
,
Fujian
Fujian (; alternately romanized as Fukien or Hokkien) is a province on the southeastern coast of China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, Guangdong to the south, and the Taiwan Strait to the east. Its capi ...
in 1916. He joined the Communist Party of China in 1931.
After the People's Republic of China was founded, Chen was the head of the party organization in Shanghai from 1965 to 1967. In 1967, Chen was ousted from power during the
January Storm
The Shanghai People's Commune () or was established in January 1967 during the January Storm (), also known as the January Revolution (), of China's Cultural Revolution by the Shanghai Workers Revolutionary Rebel General Headquarters. The Commune ...
by radical elements led by
Zhang Chunqiao
Zhang Chunqiao (; 1 February 1917 – 21 April 2005) was a prominent Chinese political theorist, writer, and politician. He came to the national spotlight during the late stages of the Cultural Revolution, and was a member of the ultra-Maoist gr ...
. Chen spent much of the
Cultural Revolution
The Cultural Revolution, formally known as the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, was a sociopolitical movement in the People's Republic of China (PRC) launched by Mao Zedong in 1966, and lasting until his death in 1976. Its stated goal ...
in solitary confinement. He wrote to Mao to resume his work, to no avail. Eventually
Deng Xiaoping
Deng Xiaoping (22 August 1904 – 19 February 1997) was a Chinese revolutionary leader, military commander and statesman who served as the paramount leader of the People's Republic of China (PRC) from December 1978 to November 1989. After CC ...
recalled Chen back to work on the pretext of medical treatment, and Chen was given the job of vice chairman of the Shanghai Revolutionary Committee. After the Cultural Revolution he served as party chief of Hubei.
He became a Secretary of the
Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee in 1982, and was the Secretary of the
CPC Central Political and Legislative Affairs Committee from 1982 to 1985.
Chen died in 1995, aged 89. He was eulogized with standard honours bestowed to high-ranking members of the Communist Party.
External links
Biography of Chen Pixian
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chen, Pixian
1916 births
1995 deaths
People's Republic of China politicians from Fujian
Politicians from Longyan
Political office-holders in Shanghai
Governors of Hubei
Members of the Secretariat of the Chinese Communist Party
Chinese politicians of Hakka descent
Chinese Communist Party politicians from Fujian
Secretaries of the Communist Party Shanghai Committee
Vice Chairpersons of the National People's Congress