Vermilion Gate: An Extraordinary Story of Growing Up in Communist China

by Aiping Mu

Aiping Mu was born to parents prominent in the Communist hierarchy—her father was Political Commissar for the Beijing region and her mother ran one of the city's universities—and in her early years lived the pampered life of the Party elite. Both parents were considered intellectuals, and thus the Cultural Revolution resulted in the break-up of the family. While following one family's rising and falling fortunes, this biography tells the story of modern China itself, written from the perspective of one who grew up close to the seat of power in history.

Genres: China, Nonfiction, History, Autobiography, Biography, Biography Memoir, Cultural

819 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2000

Reviews

[Caryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fantastic companion piece to Jung Chang's 'Wild Swans'. Aiping Mu, like Jung Chang, relates her own childhood and family experiences through the Cultural Revolution, giving a good insight into that terrible time. 'Vermilion Gate' is not as easy or interesting a read as 'Wild Swans', but Mu provides many more details, facts and research sources to substantiate both authors' claims. I did find myself, at times while reading 'Wild Swans' thinking, "Is she making this up? Is she embellishing for dramatic effect? Is this really accurate or is it just how SHE sees it?" Mu's experiences were not dissimilar to Chang's and for me, her meticulous annotations and dispassionate telling gave credence to Chang's story as well as her own. It's a bit boring going through those annotations, but necessary to verify the claims of the absolute horror and insanity of that time for Chinese people.

This is an important book in understanding China's history.

[Gavin Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an amazing book, I cried many times for Aiping and are so thankful she wrote this detailed, and personal saga. 真 漂亮

[Veronica · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first part was very interesting, by the second half it became a little boring due to the too many details and it grew a bit tiring to finish. I definitely preferred Wild Swans, in the genre, but still enjoyed reading it from a cultural point of view. The author's life is inspiring, terrible and an example of women's courage in a male-dominated society.

[Peter Burton · Rating 4 out of 5]

An amazing true story.I’ve read a couple of memoirs about life in Communist China and this is the most detailed covering her parents’ and her grandparents’ as well as her own.What a story if is.How could people be so cruel to each other?How could Mao be so revered even today for such chaos as the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution?How could Chinese people be so cowed as to accept the cruelty?All a mystery to a Western mind.This book though is long so only for enthusiasts of Chinese history

[Robin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This autobiography is really good at developing the entire picture for you. The author is right to believe that a lot of what happened in the 40's in China are not well known in other countries so she goes into great detail to explain it. Because of this though, it sort of turns into a history book. It's a though life, she went through a lot!

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book a while ago but I see there aren't any reviews so I thought I'd add something here.

This is an autobiography written by a woman whose family history is inextricably interlinked with the history of the Communist Party in China. Aiping Mu tells her own story and that of her mother and father, who were involved in fairly important government roles from the early days of the Party. It charts the family's fortunes from the optimism of the early days of Mao's rule through the various hardships which eventually tear her family apart as her parents separate and Mu is forced to leave the country. The unique perspective of this book which spans decades and lives illustrates the initial optimism of the new Communist regime and the brutal realities of life in Communist China from the perspectives of multiple characters. It would be a great read for anyone interested in this period of China's history.