> fragrant grease
Similar to Mao Zedong’s “let a hundred flowers bloom.” Mao used this phrase during the Hundred Flowers Campaign in 1956, which aimed to encourage Chinese intellectuals to express their opinions and criticisms of the Communist regime. The campaign was launched to promote progress in the arts and sciences and to foster a flourishing socialist culture.
However, the campaign did not last long. Initially, Mao invited criticism of the government, but when the criticism became harsh and widespread, he reversed his position. By June 1957, the government began to signal that the criticism had gone too far, and an anti-rightist campaign was launched. Many critics of the regime were subjected to severe retribution, losing their jobs and being forced to do manual labor in the countryside, with some even being sent to prison.