The "Double-Hundred" Policy

The "Double-Hundred" Policy

The "double-hundred" policy is an abbreviated form of the policy of "letting a hundred flowers bloom and a hundred schools of thought contend."

To celebrate the founding of the China Academy of Opera in Beijing in April 1951, with Peking Opera artist Mei Lanfang (1894-1961) as its president, Mao Zedong wrote a congratulatory inscription: "letting a hundred flowers bloom, and weeding through the old to bring forth the new." By this, he encouraged the performers to carry on the best of China's cultural traditions. This inscription set the tone for the cultural and artistic programs of the new state.

The policy was formalized at an enlarged meeting of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee on April 28, 1956, when Mao Zedong said that this should guide the country's scientific and cultural work. He also talked about the policy at the seventh meeting of the Supreme State Conference on May 2. 

The "double-hundred" policy was based on a review of the history of science and culture at home and abroad. It was a creation of the Chinese Communists represented by Mao Zedong, and regarded as an extension of Marxism. It has continued to steer the development of China's culture, arts and science ever since.

“雙百”方針

“雙百”方針是“百花齊放，百家爭鳴”方針的簡稱。1951年4月3日，由著名京劇表演藝術家梅蘭芳任院長的中國戲曲研究院在北京成立。毛澤東主席親筆題詞：“百花齊放，推陳出新”。他主張對待京戲藝術要去其糟粕，取其精華，加以繼承。這一題詞為新中國文化藝術的發展指明了方向。

在此基礎上，1956年4月28日，毛澤東在中共中央政治局擴大會議上指出，藝術問題上的“百花齊放”，學術問題上的“百家爭鳴”，應該成為中國發展科學、繁榮文學藝術的方針。5月2日，毛澤東在最高國務會議第七次會議上正式宣布了“百花齊放、百家爭鳴”的方針。

“雙百”方針的提出，既認真總結和汲取了歷史與現實、國際與國內科學和文化發展史上的經驗教訓，又是以毛澤東為代表的中國共產黨人的一大創造，是對馬克思主義的一個發展。1978年中共十一屆三中全會后，“雙百”方針繼續得到貫徹落實，推動著中國文藝事業、科學事業的健康發展。