Hua Guofeng's cult of personality was the attempted cult of personality of Hua Guofeng, who became the second Chairman of the Chinese Communist Party from 1976 until 1981, after the death of former Chairman Mao Zedong.[1] During his rule he was referred to as the "Wise leader Chairman Hua (英明领袖华主席)."
He was not the leader of China during his entire Chairmanship, he only had full power between 1976 and 1978. During his leadership he tried to continue some Maoist policies with his "Two Whatevers (两个凡是)" doctrine and tried to establish a personality cult around himself.
At the peak of his cult, the number of portraits of Hua even surpassed those of Mao, but with the rise of Deng Xiaoping he became more and more unpopular, inside and outside the party. At the 3rd Plenary Session of the 11th Central Committee Deng took control of China and Hua's cult was thus stopped.
Over the next four years Hua lost most of his power, by 1982 he was reduced to an ordinary member of the Central Committee. He left the committee in November 2002 and died in August 2008.
When the founder of the People's Republic of China and first Chairman of the Chinese Communist Party, Mao Zedong, died in 1976 his newly appointed successor, Hua Guofeng, was relatively unknown to the public at the start of his rule.[2] In late 1976 Hua Guofeng launched a nationwide campaign to criticize the Maoist political faction "The Gang of Four" and rehabilitate some of those punished during the Cultural Revolution,[3] restoring over 4600 disgraced cadres between October 1976 and December 1978. Deng Xiaoping was also rehabilitated in July 1977, marking significant changes in the Central Committee's composition.Hua famously stated; "We will resolutely uphold whatever policy decisions Chairman Mao made, and unswervingly follow whatever instructions Chairman Mao gave," later mockingly referred to as the "Two Whatevers (两个凡是)." Hua was criticized for his perceived blind obedience. He initiated the first National College Entrance Examination since the Cultural Revolution. In 1978, Hua played a key role in drafting a new state constitution, which aimed to restore some rule of law and planning mechanisms, though it retained some elements of Mao's continuous revolution theory.
Hua Guofeng attempted to establish a cult of personality by closely associating himself with Mao Zedong's legacy. He adopted Mao's style, including his distinctive hairstyle, and often emulated Mao's public demeanor. State media and propaganda were employed extensively to project Hua as Mao's rightful successor, positioning him as the new helmsman of the revolution.[4] [5]
Hua also leveraged Mao's supposed endorsement, prominently featuring the phrase "With you in charge, I’m at ease," which was attributed to Mao, to legitimize his leadership. This endorsement was heavily promoted to reinforce his authority and connection to Mao.
Additionally, Hua sought to embed his image into the daily lives of Chinese citizens. Schools, government offices, and public institutions were required to display his portrait alongside Mao's. He also revised the national anthem to incorporate Mao's name and the Communist Party, reflecting a shift towards a more ideologically driven tone.
During the height of Hua's personality cult, the number of portraits and images of Hua even surpassed those of Mao, a significant shift in visual representation, as during this period Hua's likeness became more prevalent in public spaces, offices, and homes across China than Mao's. At this point in time Hua was exclusively referred to as the "Wise Leader Chairman Hua (英明领袖华主席)," a title that was prominently featured in the propaganda posters of the time.
Hua Guofeng's cult of personality ultimately failed due to several key factors. Firstly, his reliance on Maoist rhetoric and symbolism appeared increasingly outdated as China began to shift towards reform and modernization. Secondly, the cult of personality failed to resonate deeply with the public or within the Communist Party. Party officials were growing weary of the extreme cultism that characterized the Mao era, and Hua's attempts to establish his own cult of personality seemed out of touch with this new direction. The contradiction of Hua eliminating Jiang Qing, Mao's wife, while simultaneously aligning himself with Mao's legacy was another apparent factor that led to the failure of his personality cult.
The rise of Deng Xiaoping was pivotal in undermining Hua Guofeng's political position, and bringing an end to his personality cult. Rehabilitated in July 1977, Deng quickly gained influence within the Communist Party by championing economic reforms and advocating for China's opening to the world. His pragmatic approach and vision for modernization resonated strongly with both the party elite and the general public, causing support for Hua to wane. At the Third Plenary Session of the 11th CPC Central Committee in December 1978, Deng effectively took control of the party by consolidating his power and marginalizing Hua, who was unofficialy replaced by Deng as China's paramount leader in the session.[6]
With Hua being replaced by Deng as the leader of China, his personality cult completely collapsed, most notably evidenced by the removal of most of his portraits.[7] Hua's power then continued to decline after 1978. In June 1981, he was replaced as Chairman of the Chinese Communist Party by Hu Yaobang and was demoted to the new position of junior Vice Chairman. This post was subsequently abolished in 1982, leaving him as an ordinary member of the Central Committee. He remained on the committee until the 16th Party Congress in November 2002 and passed away in August 2008.[8]