A sudden wave of Cultural Revolution nostalgia swept across China’s internet last week and just as quickly, it was scrubbed from view. The Cultural Revolution (1966–1976) was a decade-long political movement launched by Mao Zedong to reinforce Communist ideology and eliminate “bourgeois” elements. It caused widespread chaos, persecution, and cultural destruction across China.

A movie review video by a well-known influencer about the 2017 Chinese film Youth (Fanghua), set during the later years of the Cultural Revolution, went viral on Bilibili, one of China’s most popular video platforms, especially among younger audiences. The review drew more than 35 million views before vanishing without explanation.

Mao-Era Slogans Flood Video Comments

During the video’s surge in popularity, thous

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