Republican Fever[1] (simplified Chinese:民国热;traditional Chinese:民國熱;pinyin:Mínguó Rè) refers to a 21st-century cultural phenomenon inmainland China that expresses nostalgia and praise for of theRepublic of China (1912–1949). Some cultural-related industries and ideological fields within mainland China have expressed some forms of this sentiment.[2]: 50
While the rise of 'Republican Fever' in mainland China is considered to have occurred around 2010, it can be traced back to the 1990s, when mainland Chinese scholars began to reflect on the established CCP view of ROC history.[3]
A 2007 report in theChina Youth Daily described the "Republican Fever" in the publishing industry in mainland China.[4] Since 2010, the modern mainland had a wide audience of Republican Fever, with a positive view of theRepublic of China (1912–1949) (ROC0, and an interest in the political figures and academic masters of the period. ROC-era related cultural products became abundant, with the Internet, movies and TV dramas, and publications as the main channels of dissemination.[2]: 50
Criticisms of 'Republican Fever' from thePeople's Republic of China (PRC) include, firstly, the promotion of historical nihilism and the vilification of theChinese Communist Party and the government of the PRC; secondly, the satirizing of the past with the use ofSpring and Autumn brushstrokes; and, thirdly, the use of this issue as a tool for attacking the political system of the PRC. 'Republican Fever' eventually leads to the denial of the legitimacy of the PRC representing China.[2]: 50
'Republican Fever' can refer to general romanticization of the Republic of China without ideological opposition to the PRC, and the PRC has begun rehabilitating the legacy of the ROC within mainland China. The 2009 movie sponsored by the Chinese Communist Party,The Founding of a Republic, moved away from castingChiang Kai-shek as 'evil' versusMao Zedong, and emphasizing instead that the contingencies of war led the communists to victory.[5]
In recent years, however, the history of republican China has experienced a pronounced revival, rescuing it from the theme of disintegration and the verdict of failure. Significantly, this trend extends to Chinese scholarship, where new work has discomfited the CCP leadership with its "republican fever" (minguore 民國熱).