⧉Image Children's Magazines: The Four Pests Campaign And The Great Leap Forward
- Title
- Image 1 The Four Pests Campaign Children’s Epoch (Ertong Shidai 儿童时代) Magazine Cover
- Date
- 1958-06
- Creator
- Unknown
- Publisher
- Zhongguo fulihui ertong shidai she
- Rights
- Personal Collection. Fair use.
- Description
The campaign against 'Four Pest' was officially launched in 1958, against rats, flies, mosquitoes and sparrows. Everyone was mobilized to kill the 'dirty creatures', and this magazine cover shows children participating in this task. Killing all sparrows turned out to be a mistake, because sparrows usefully kill insects that can wipe out a harvest, and it hurt agricultural production. When this became obvious, the fourth targeted pest—sparrows—was changed to bedbugs.
- Title
- Image 2 Great Leap Forward Children’s Epoch (Ertong Shidai,儿童时代) Magazine Cover
- Date
- 1958-10
- Creator
- Unknown
- Publisher
- China Welfare Foundation Children’s Epoch Publishing (Zhongguo fulihui ertong shidai she 中国福利会儿童时代社)
- Rights
- Personal Collection. Fair use.
- Description
This issue of Ertong Shidai celebrates the Great Leap Forward (1958-62). The plan was to overtake Great Britain’s steel production within fifteen years, while also achieving very fast agricultural development. Images from this time often show both steel (the bucket) and grain. The dragon—traditional Chinese symbol of power and good fortune—carries a banner with Chairman Mao’s portrait, and the sun shines brightly (symbolizing China’s future). Children, a worker, a farmer, a soldier, a Communist Party cadre and an intellectual (all identifiable by their outfits and props) fly along on the dragon. The back cover (left) shows the new society’s rapid development, with modern industry and transportation.