Ashmolean Eastern Art Online, Yousef Jameel Centre for Islamic and Asian Art

The ballet Red Detachment of Women was one of the eight revolutionary model plays designated by Jiang Qing during the Cultural Revolution. The story depicts the liberation of a peasant girl named Wu Qinghua, who joined the Red Army on Hainan Island, and her rise under the influence of an army representative of the Communist Party Hong Changqing, The ballet was adapted from a novel based on a true story from the 1930s, and later adapted into film and opera. The ballet was highly praised by Premier Zhou Enlai, and performed for the U.S. President Richard Nixon on his visit to China in 1972. Despite its political overtones, the ballet remains part of the standard repertoire and a favourite amongst music and ballet lovers in China.