'Red' rebirth taking place at the China Executive Leadership Academy
The Jinggang mountains, in China’s southeastern Jiangxi province, are renowned in China as the cradle of the Communist revolution – the place where Mao Zedong organized his scattered supporters in 1927 into the First Regiment, First Division, of what is now the three million-strong People’s Liberation Army. Today, Jinggangshan is a hub of “red” rebirth, hosting one of three training centres created by the powerful Organization Department of the Communist Party to train future government officials, military officers and even business leaders in the history of the party as well as Marxism, Leninism and Mao Zedong thought. “Young officials tend to think more independently when learning history and they sometimes raise hard questions and challenge the teachers,” Wang Xukuan, a professor at the China Executive Leadership Academy, as the training centres are known, told the official China Daily newspaper. “We will show them this period of history in an objective way.” Founded in 2005, almost 40,000 students have since attended classes at the China Executive Leadership Academy.
Mid-level government officials dressed in replica red army uniforms cross a bridge after their visit to a memorial site during their 5-day training course at the communist party school called the China Executive Leadership Academy of Jinggangshan, in Jiangxi province September 21, 2012.Carlos Barria/Reuters
Mid-level government officials listen to a lesson at an old battle site during a five-day training course at the communist party school called China Executive Leadership Academy of Jinggangshan, in Jiangxi province September 21, 2012.Carlos Barria/Reuters
Mid-level government officials dressed in replica red army uniforms listen to a lesson as they visit a house where former Chinese leader Mao Zedong used to live during their 5-day training course at the communist party school called the China Executive Leadership Academy of Jinggangshan, in Jiangxi province September 21, 2012.Carlos Barria/Reuters
Mid-level government officials dressed in replica red army uniforms walk into a house where former Chinese leader Mao Zedong used to live during their 5-day training course at the communist party school called the China Executive Leadership Academy of Jinggangshan, in Jiangxi province September 21, 2012.Carlos Barria/Reuters
Mid-level government officials dressed in replica red army uniforms listen to a lesson as they visit a house where former Chinese leader Mao Zedong used to live during their 5-day training course at the communist party school called the China Executive Leadership Academy of Jinggangshan, in Jiangxi province September 21, 2012.Carlos Barria/Reuters
Mid-level government official dressed in replica red army uniforms wear sports shoes as they visit a house where former Chinese leader Mao Zedong used to live, during a five-day training course at the communist party school called the China Executive Leadership Academy of Jinggangshan, in Jiangxi province September 21, 2012.Carlos Barria/Reuters
Mid-level government officials dressed in replica red army uniforms carry bags bearing an image of former Chinese leader Mao Zedong as they visit an house where Mao used to live, during a five-day training course at the communist party school called the China Executive Leadership Academy of Jinggangshan, in Jiangxi province September 21, 2012.Carlos Barria/Reuters
Mid-level government officials dressed in replica red army uniforms visit a house where former Chinese leader Mao Zedong used to live during their 5-day training course at the communist party school called the China Executive Leadership Academy of Jinggangshan, in Jiangxi province September 21, 2012.Carlos Barria/Reuters
Mid-level government officials dressed in replica red army uniforms walk as they visit a hospital during their 5-day training course at the communist party school called the China Executive Leadership Academy of Jinggangshan, in Jiangxi province September 21, 2012.Carlos Barria/Reuters
A mid-level government official dressed in a replica red army uniform poses for a picture as she visits a house where former Chinese leader Mao Zedong used to live during a 5-day training course at the communist party school called the China Executive Leadership Academy of Jinggangshan, in Jiangxi province September 21, 2012.Carlos Barria/Reuters
Mid-level government officials dressed in replica red army uniforms visit a house where former Chinese leader Mao Zedong used to live, during a five-day training course at the communist party school called the China Executive Leadership Academy of Jinggangshan, in Jiangxi province September 21, 2012.Carlos Barria/Reuters
Mid-level government officials dressed in replica red army uniforms stand next to a portrait of former Chinese leader Mao Zedong as they visit a house where Mao used to live during a five-day training course at the communist party school called the China Executive Leadership Academy of Jinggangshan, in Jiangxi province September 21, 2012.Carlos Barria/Reuters
A mid-level government official dressed in a replica red army uniform visits a house where former Chinese leader Mao Zedong used to live, during a five-day training course at the communist party school called the China Executive Leadership Academy of Jinggangshan, in Jiangxi province September 21, 2012.Carlos Barria/Reuters
Mid-level government officials stand inside a house where former Chinese leader Mao Zedong used to live, during a five-day training course at the communist party school called the China Executive Leadership Academy of Jinggangshan, in Jiangxi province September 21, 2012.Carlos Barria/Reuters
Mid-level government officials dressed in replica red army uniforms visit a house where former Chinese leader Mao Zedong used to live, during a five-day training course at the communist party school called the China Executive Leadership Academy of Jinggangshan, in Jiangxi province September 21, 2012.Carlos Barria/Reuters
Mid-level government officials dressed in replica red army uniforms visit a house where former Chinese leader Mao Zedong used to live, during a five-day training course at the communist party school called the China Executive Leadership Academy of Jinggangshan, in Jiangxi province September 21, 2012.Carlos Barria/Reuters
Mid-level government officials dressed in replica red army uniforms walk next to a rice field as they visit a house where former Chinese leader Mao Zedong used to live, during a five-day training course at the communist party school called the China Executive Leadership Academy of Jinggangshan, in Jiangxi province September 21, 2012.Carlos Barria/Reuters