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Song Yongyi

b. 1949

Chinese-American historian

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About Song Yongyi

Born 1949. Song Yongyi is a Chinese historian, sinologist and librarian.

Song Yongyi (Chinese: 宋永毅; born 15 December 1949) is a Chinese American historian who specializes in the study of Chinese Cultural Revolution. He currently works at the California State University, Los Angeles, and previously served as a college librarian at the Dickinson College in Pennsylvania.

Biography Song Yongyi was born in Shanghai, China in December 1949. During the Cultural Revolution, Song became a Red Guard who followed Mao Zedong, but was jailed when he was 17 for several years because he was part of the "counter-revolutionary clique" that challenged Zhang Chunqiao.

In the summer of 1999, Song went back to China to collect documents related to the Cultural Revolution, but was arrested by the Chinese government for "stealing state secrets". More than 100 scholars and researchers called for his release. "Award for Scholarship and Promoting Intellectual Freedom," The Pennsylvania Library Association, September 26, 2000. "The 21st Century Librarian National Award," School of Information Studies, Syracuse University, October 10, 2004. "Paul Howard Award for Courage," American Library Association, Chicago, June 28, 2005. "Champion of Freedom of Speech Award," Visual Artists Guild, Los Angeles, May 27, 2006. "Zoia Horn Intellectual Freedom Award," California Library Association, November 11, 2011. "CALA Distinguished Service Award," Chinese-American Librarian Association, June 16,2013.

Selected publications

Song Yongyi; Zhou Zehao. Heterodox Thoughts During the Cultural Revolution, Parts I and II, Contemporary Chinese Thought 32, no. 4 (Summer 2001); 33, no. 1 (Fall 2001) Song Yongyi (2002). Massacres during the Cultural Revolution. Open Books.

Song Yongyi (2011). CHRONOLOGY OF MASS KILLINGS DURING THE CHINESE CULTURAL REVOLUTION (1966-1976). Sciences Po. Guo Jian, Yongyi Song, Yuan Zhou (2015). Historical Dictionary of the Chinese Cultural Revolution (Historical Dictionaries of War, Revolution, and Civil Unrest). Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. Song Yongyi, et al, ed. (2017). Secret Archives about the Cultural Revolution in Guangxi, Classified Documents. Guoshi Press. Song, Y. (2021). Mao Zedong he Wenhua Dageming: Zhengzhi xinli yu wenhua jiyin de xinchanshi [Mao Zedong and the Cultural Revolution: A new interpretation from perspectives of political psychology and cultural gene]. Taibei: Lianjing chubanshe.

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Important facts

Birth century
Education
East China Normal University, University of Colorado Boulder, Indiana University, Shanghai Normal University

People in Song Yongyi's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

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Frequently asked questions

Who is Song Yongyi?

chinese-American historian

When was Song Yongyi born?

Song Yongyi was born on 15 December 1949 in Shanghai.

What is Song Yongyi's occupation?

Song Yongyi is a historian, sinologist and librarian.

What nationality is Song Yongyi?

Song Yongyi is Chinese.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Song Yongyi

· Wikidata: Q3490344

· DBpedia: Song Yongyi

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Song Yongyi. https://biography.guide/song-yongyi/

MLA: "Song Yongyi." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/song-yongyi/.

Chicago: "Song Yongyi." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/song-yongyi/.

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