A Chinese Rebel beyond the Great Wall

Set against the backdrop of Mao Zedong's Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution, the narrative follows Cheng Tiejun, a famine refugee who becomes involved in the Red Guards. As the political climate shifts, Inner Mongolia faces the destruction of its Mongol leadership and a brutal crackdown on its culture. Cheng's personal recollections, alongside a critical examination of the era's documentary record, reveal the persecution of Mongols as a form of "politicide," aiming for forced assimilation rather than genocide. This work sheds light on the complexities of Chinese minority politics and historical events.