Liu Liangmo ''Liángmó'') (6 November 1909 – 8 August 1988) was a musician and Chinese Christian leader known for his promotion of the patriotic mass singing movement in the 1930s and promotion in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
of support for China's resistance to
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
in
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
. He was a leader in the
Three-Self Patriotic Movement
The Three-Self Patriotic Movement (TSPM; ) is the official government supervisory organ for Protestantism in the People's Republic of China. It is colloquially known as the Three-Self Church ().
The National Committee of the Three-Self Patriot ...
(TSPM) after 1949.
Education and discovery of mass singing
While in middle school Liu converted to Christianity and soon became a student secretary (organizer) for the Shanghai
YMCA
YMCA, sometimes regionally called the Y, is a worldwide youth organization based in Geneva, Switzerland, with more than 64 million beneficiaries in 120 countries. It was founded on 6 June 1844 by George Williams in London, originally ...
. He attended
University of Shanghai
University of Shanghai, also known as Shanghai College and Hujiang University (), was a university established by the American Baptist Missionary Union and the Southern Baptist Convention in Shanghai.
It was the predecessor of University of Sh ...
, a Baptist missionary institution, where he did not receive formal musical training but sang in the university church choir. He graduated in 1932 with a degree in sociology. He then took a position with the Chinese National YMCA.
China did not have a tradition of group singing, but Christian church congregations and mission student groups had begun to use music as an attraction as early as the 19th century. When Liu happened upon ''Music United People'', a book of songs, he was moved to form singing groups as a way of promoting patriotism and moral virtue. Liu declared “My plan was to make music the possession of all and not the privilege of the few.” In February 1935, with encouragement from the YMCA, Liu established a mass singing club for some sixty clerks, doorkeepers, office boys, elevator operators, and apprentices. Within a week, the number of participants had nearly tripled, and by mid-1936 the group, known as the People’s Song Association, had attracted more than 1,000 members, with regional branches in
Hong Kong
Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delt ...
and
Guangzhou
Guangzhou (, ; ; or ; ), also known as Canton () and alternatively romanized as Kwongchow or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of Guangdong province in southern China. Located on the Pearl River about north-northwest of Hong Kon ...
.
Mass singing and resistance to Japan
Liu wrote in 1935
:If we Chinese want to break free of imperialism’s iron shackles..., if we want China to exert itself, our people must be able to loudly and vigorously sing powerful songs full of spirit and vitality. If the people of China can sing these songs, no doubt the sound will shake the earth. Any youth who can sing should spread the “people’s song” movement to each province, city, county, and countryside. The dawning of a new China will arrive when all the people of China can sing these majestic and powerful songs.
In June 1936 Liu stood on a two-meter high platform in a sports arena in Shanghai packed with thousands to lead a several hundred member chorus in "The
March of the Volunteers
The "March of the Volunteers" (), originally titled the "March of the Anti-Manchukuo Counter-Japan Volunteers", has been the official national anthem of the People's Republic of China since 1978. Unlike previous Chinese state anthems, it was ...
, " a patriotic song which after 1949 became the national anthem. Mass singing became even more widespread as it proved its ability to mobilize patriotic support for the government following the
Xi'an Incident
The Xi'an Incident, previously romanized as the Sian Incident, was a political crisis that took place in Xi'an, Shaanxi in 1936. Chiang Kai-shek, leader of the Nationalist government of China, was detained by his subordinate generals Chang Hs ...
of December 1936.
![Liu Liangmo Leads YMCA Patriotic Chorus 1936](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/dc/Liu_Liangmo_Leads_YMCA_Patriotic_Chorus_1936.jpg)
As relations with Japan grew more tense, in February 1937, at the invitation of General
Fu Zuoyi
Fu Zuoyi () (June 2, 1895 − April 19, 1974) was a Chinese military leader. He began his military career in the service of Yan Xishan, and he was widely praised for his defense of Suiyuan from the Japanese. During the final stages of the Chines ...
and acting under the auspices of the national YMCA, Liu formed a war zone Soldier Relief Board in
Suiyuan
Suiyuan () is a ''de jure'' province of the Republic of China according to the ROC law, as the ROC government formally claims to be the legitimate government of China, with its capital located Guisui (now Hohhot). The abbreviation was (pinyi ...
, in western China. Liu later recalled that General Fu told him that “Mass singing and slogans are the two great weapons to train the people and soldiers. Of the two, singing is more important because during the war it can stimulate a spirit of unity among our soldiers and masses.”
Israel Epstein
Israel Epstein (20 April 1915 – 26 May 2005) was a Polish-born Chinese journalist and author. He was one of the few foreign-born Chinese citizens of non-Chinese origin to become a member of the Chinese Communist Party.
Early life and educatio ...
, then a young reporter for a Tianjin newspaper, reported many years later that he first heard Liu in the gymnasium of the
Tianjin
Tianjin (; ; Mandarin: ), alternately romanized as Tientsin (), is a municipality and a coastal metropolis in Northern China on the shore of the Bohai Sea. It is one of the nine national central cities in Mainland China, with a total popul ...
YMCA in the summer of 1937. The hall was filled with “ordinary people from the street – students, petty clerks, workmen, schoolchildren, newsboys, and even rickshaw pullers,” who “with serious faces repeated the separate phrase of the song they were being taught. Then they sang two phrases at a time. Then a whole stanza....” Epstein further recalled that Liu
:seemed to be listening to and prompting each singer separately, while at the same time he never stopped singing. He seemed two men – one singing, like his audience with relieved passion at being able at last to utter the ‘one last cry’ of every Chinese; the other disciplined and methodical, teaching and listening.
Two Japanese detectives appeared, and some of the audience seemed intimidated, but Liu merely said that the doors of the hall were open to all who had come to sing, and asked the detectives to join in singing "March of the Volunteers." Afterwards Liu explained to Epstein that if he had allowed the Japanese to intimidate him, the young men he hoped to train would have drifted away, but that if he had incited the crowd to throw the Japanese out, the movement would have been shut down. "You do not realize," he told Epstein, how important an instrument an easily learned song is." Many Chinese cannot read, but "the song carries resistance from mouth to mouth."
After the outbreak of the
war with Japan in August 1937, Liu continued to work with the YMCA Soldier Relief Board to provide shelter and relief for wounded soldiers. For a while the
United Front
A united front is an alliance of groups against their common enemies, figuratively evoking unification of previously separate geographic fronts and/or unification of previously separate armies into a front. The name often refers to a political a ...
provided a truce between the Communist and Nationalist Parties, but by the summer of 1939, the United Front was breaking down. While the Communists were enthusiastic about music as a way to mobilize popular support, the Nationalists were suspicious that popular cultural activities were being manipulated to Communist advantage. The Soldier Relief Board and Liu's team of relief workers were in
Changsha
Changsha (; ; ; Changshanese pronunciation: (), Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ) is the capital and the largest city of Hunan Province of China. Changsha is the 17th most populous city in China with a population of over 10 million, an ...
,
Hunan
Hunan (, ; ) is a landlocked province of the People's Republic of China, part of the South Central China region. Located in the middle reaches of the Yangtze watershed, it borders the province-level divisions of Hubei to the north, Jiangxi to ...
, when the local Nationalist military burned the town to prevent it from falling into the hands of an anticipated Japanese advance which never materialized. Liu’s group managed to save the YMCA building and to evacuate many of the wounded soldiers, but determined it would be safer to move on to
Zhejiang
Zhejiang ( or , ; , also romanized as Chekiang) is an eastern, coastal province of the People's Republic of China. Its capital and largest city is Hangzhou, and other notable cities include Ningbo and Wenzhou. Zhejiang is bordered by Jiang ...
.
In Zhejiang, Liu tried to keep good relations with local Nationalist government and army, but when
Zhou Enlai
Zhou Enlai (; 5 March 1898 – 8 January 1976) was a Chinese statesman and military officer who served as the first Premier of the People's Republic of China, premier of the People's Republic of China from 1 October 1949 until his death on 8 J ...
visited him, the military police became suspicious and raided Liu's relief camp. The communist
New Fourth Army
The New Fourth Army () was a unit of the National Revolutionary Army of the Republic of China established in 1937. In contrast to most of the National Revolutionary Army, it was controlled by the Chinese Communist Party and not by the ruling Ku ...
invited him to join their cultural work, but Liu feared the political control that the move would have required. Liu saw his Christian faith as more important than loyalty to either the GMD or the CCP. Liu set out for Shanghai to seek the support of
Soong Ching-ling
Rosamond Soong Ch'ing-ling (27 January 189329 May 1981) was a Chinese political figure. As the third wife of Sun Yat-sen, then Premier of the Kuomintang and President of the Republic of China, she was often referred to as Madame Sun Yat-sen. ...
, the widow of
Sun Yat-sen
Sun Yat-sen (; also known by several other names; 12 November 1866 – 12 March 1925)Singtao daily. Saturday edition. 23 October 2010. section A18. Sun Yat-sen Xinhai revolution 100th anniversary edition . was a Chinese politician who serve ...
, who had become the protector of leftist cultural activities, but before he could reach her the Nationalist police put him under house arrest. Only the intervention of the American YMCA freed him. He soon left with his family for the United States and did not return to China for nearly ten years.
In the United States, 1940-1949
Mass singing continued to be Liu's weapon to raise support for China. He briefly attended
Crozer Theological Seminary
The Crozer Theological Seminary was a Baptist seminary located in Upland, Pennsylvania.
Martin Luther King Jr. was a student at Crozer Theological Seminary from 1948 to 1951, and graduated with a Bachelor of Divinity degree.
In 1970, the semina ...
a Baptist institution outside Philadelphia. When he arrived in New York in 1940 he immediately organized a chorus for the Chinese Youth Club that sang for war rallies.
Liu also rallied support for China's war effort through the international network of progressive figures. Soon after he arrived in New York, Liu mentioned to a friend that he knew of the African American singer and political activist
Paul Robeson
Paul Leroy Robeson ( ; April 9, 1898 – January 23, 1976) was an American bass-baritone concert artist, stage and film actor, professional football player, and activist who became famous both for his cultural accomplishments and for his p ...
and his early support for China, and said that he would like to meet him. The friend (perhaps
Lin Yutang
Lin Yutang ( ; October 10, 1895 – March 26, 1976) was a Chinese inventor, linguist, novelist, philosopher, and translator. His informal but polished style in both Chinese and English made him one of the most influential writers of his generati ...
) phoned Robeson, who came within half an hour. At a concert at New York's
Lewisohn Stadium
Lewisohn Stadium was an amphitheater and athletic facility built on the campus of the City College of New York (CCNY). It opened in 1915 and was demolished in 1973.
History
The Doric-colonnaded amphitheater was built between Amsterdam and Conven ...
a few weeks later, Robeson sang ''Cheelai '' in what Liu described as "perfect Mandarin." Reportedly in communication with the original lyricist
Tian Han
Tian Han ( zh, 田汉; 12 March 1898 – 10 December 1968), formerly romanized as T'ien Han, was a Chinese drama activist, playwright, a leader of revolutionary music and films, as well as a translator and poet. He emerged at the time of the ...
, the pair translated the anthem into English. In early 1941 Liu and the Children's Chorus recorded an album of Chinese songs with Robeson for
Keynote Records
A keynote in public speaking is a talk that establishes a main underlying theme. In corporate or commercial settings, greater importance is attached to the delivery of a keynote speech or keynote address. The keynote establishes the framework f ...
.
Liu toured the country to raise money for
United China Relief Bettis Alston Garside 葛思德 (November 22, 1894 – August 1, 1989), better known as B.A. Garside, was an educator, author, and executive administrator for several U.S. charities related to China.
Early life
B.A. Garside was born in Stringtown ...
. and appeared onstage with such figures as
Pearl S. Buck
Pearl Sydenstricker Buck (June 26, 1892 – March 6, 1973) was an American writer and novelist. She is best known for ''The Good Earth'' a bestselling novel in the United States in 1931 and 1932 and won the Pulitzer Prize for the Novel, Pulitze ...
and
Eleanor Roosevelt
Anna Eleanor Roosevelt () (October 11, 1884November 7, 1962) was an American political figure, diplomat, and activist. She was the first lady of the United States from 1933 to 1945, during her husband President Franklin D. Roosevelt's four ...
in a series of rallies which attracted thousands in New York and Philadelphia . He also appeared in places with a less high profile, such as Bedford, Trimble County, in the hills of Kentucky, where some 400 farmers contributed eggs, sorghum, chickens, turkeys, potatoes, apples, corn and home canned foods to be auctioned. Liu told reporters "These are the American people, and they are doing their best to help their own boys and the suffering people of the United Nations through the
National War Fund
The National War Fund was the joint financing of war appeals during World War II for the United Service Organizations (USO), United Seamen's Service, and about twenty other overseas relief programs. The National War Fund operated from 1943 to 19 ...
." "
As he became more familiar with American society, Liu grew openly critical of its racism towards African-Americans and Asians. Liu linked the interests of the two non-white groups. He declared to students at
Lincoln University in Philadelphia that "If we lick fascism and Japanese imperialism we lick
jim crow
The Jim Crow laws were state and local laws enforcing racial segregation in the Southern United States. Other areas of the United States were affected by formal and informal policies of segregation as well, but many states outside the Sout ...
and anti-Semitism at the same time." The editor of the ''
Pittsburgh Courier
The ''Pittsburgh Courier'' was an African-American weekly newspaper published in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, from 1907 until October 22, 1966. By the 1930s, the ''Courier'' was one of the leading black newspapers in the United States.
It was acqu ...
'', a newspaper with a primarily black readership, then asked Liu to become a regular contributor to the editorial page. Liu urged readers to start a write-in campaign to tell Congress to repeal the
Chinese Exclusion Act
The Chinese Exclusion Act was a United States federal law signed by President Chester A. Arthur on May 6, 1882, prohibiting all immigration of Chinese laborers for 10 years. The law excluded merchants, teachers, students, travelers, and diplom ...
and pass the
Anti-poll Tax Bill and the
Anti Lynching Bill.
Yet Liu was disappointed that some blacks were suspicious of Chinese. He explained to the
Chinese Hand Laundry Alliance The Chinese Hand Laundry Alliance (CHLA) is a labor organization formed in 1933 to protect the civil rights of overseas Chinese living in North America[Burma Road
The Burma Road () was a road linking Burma (now known as Myanmar) with southwest China. Its terminals were Kunming, Yunnan, and Lashio, Burma. It was built while Burma was a British colony to convey supplies to China during the Second Sino-J ...](_ ...<br></span></div>, another key progressive ally, that blacks were )
in China, declaring that these men "know that all are comrades and brothers." During
Madme Chiang Kai-shek's visit to the United States in 1943, Liu was openly critical of the Nationalist government of her husband, even more so when she made remarks that seemed to disparage African Americans. By 1945 these incidents had made the ''Pittsburgh Couriers African American readers so distrustful of Chinese that the publisher discontinued Liu's connection with the paper.
In 1945 Liu addressed the Chinese Students' Christian Association, the oldest such group in North America, to attack the dictatorial rule of the Nationalists. In 1949, when he was about to be deported, Liu returned to China.
The New China
In September 1949 Liu attended the
People's Consultative Conference in Beijing, along with other left-liberal figures. Liu was among those suggesting that
March of the Volunteers
The "March of the Volunteers" (), originally titled the "March of the Anti-Manchukuo Counter-Japan Volunteers", has been the official national anthem of the People's Republic of China since 1978. Unlike previous Chinese state anthems, it was ...
be made the new National Anthem. In July 1950, Liu, along with YMCA secretary
Y.T. Wu and other Christian leaders, signed an open letter calling on Christians to support the New China, and joined with other Protestants in organizing the
Three Self Patriotic Movement
The Three-Self Patriotic Movement (TSPM; ) is the official government supervisory organ for Protestantism in the People's Republic of China. It is colloquially known as the Three-Self Church ().
The National Committee of the Three-Self Patriot ...
, which called for the Chinese church to be independent of foreign control and finance. Liu published articles in the Three Self Patriotic Movement's journal, ''Tian Feng'', such as one criticizing imperialism (May 19, 1951). The Shanghai YMCA Press published books by Liu explaining Mao Zedong's
New Democracy
New Democracy, or the New Democratic Revolution, is a concept based on Mao Zedong's Bloc of Four Social Classes theory in Chinese Communist Revolution, post-revolutionary China which argued originally that democracy in China would take a path ...
and ''How America Uses Religion to Invade China''.
In July 1951, the Three -Self Patriotic Movement sent Liu and a work team to the Shanghai headquarters of the Seventh-day Adventists, where they held three public accusation meetings. Liu prepared his work group by explaining that a successful meeting would use charges of "imperialism, bandits, and wicked tyrants" to "arouse the righteous indignation and accusations of Christians towards imperialism and bad elements in the churches.” Liu explained the stages in which emotions would be handled: “first high tension, then moderate, then another of high tension... only so can the accusation meeting be a success.” Before each meeting, Liu rehearsed the participants, reviewed the accusation speeches, and ordered the accusers to memorize them and to shed tears when talking about their sufferings. Participants were to shout anti- imperialist slogans and sing revolutionary songs.
In 1954 Liu attended the First National Chinese Christian Conference, held in Beijing,
Following the end of the Cultural Revolution, during which Christians and their churches were attacked, Liu held positions in the Chinese YMCA and the Shanghai government. In 1978 a forum to solicit views on amending the Constitution was held in Shanghai. Y.T. Wu, Liu’s longtime colleague, was then in the hospital, but asked Liu to read the meeting his statement requesting that the article on freedom of religious belief be returned to the wording of the 1954 Constitution. The article was not changed at that time.
In 1982, Liu, then vice-chairman of the Shanghai Political Consultative Conference, submitted a photo to
Liberation Daily
''Jiefang Daily'' (), also translated as ''Liberation Daily'', is the official daily newspaper of the Shanghai Committee of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
History
''Jiefang Daily'' was first published on May 28, 1949, in Shanghai. From 1941 ...
which he had taken in 1938 when he visited Nanjing to record
the atrocities wrought by the Japanese army. The photo was of a hospitalized little girl who had lost her arm. The girl, by then a school teacher, saw it and came to see Liu in Shanghai.
[Katsuichi Honda, ''The Nanjing Massacre: A Japanese Journalist Confronts Japan's National Shame '' (Armonk: M.E. Sharpe, 1999)]
p. 52
/ref>
Liu died in Shanghai in 1988.
Selected publications
*
*
*
*, translated and reprinted in Judy Yung, Gordon Chang, and Him Mark Lai, eds.
Chinese American Voices: From the Gold Rush to the Present
(Berkeley: University of California Press, 2006), pp. 204– 208.
*
Notes
References
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* (unpaged online version)
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Liu, Liangmo
1909 births
1988 deaths
Three-Self Patriotic Movement
Chinese Protestants
University of Shanghai alumni
Musicians from Ningbo
YMCA leaders