Description
This paper explores the ideological transformation of political idol-making in post-communist China by examining the symbolic shift from Lei Feng—a Maoist martyr figure celebrated for selfless sacrifice—to the unexpected online idolisation of Gandhi by Chinese youth. Drawing on Foucault’s theory of subjectivation and Judith Butler’s work on ethical selfhood and moral framing, I argue that the current ideological vacuum in China has given rise to new “messianic” figures that reflect evolving values of individualism, ascetic self-care, and passive resistance, rather than collectivist sacrifice.
Rather than viewing nationalism in China as rising, I suggest that the collapse of the CCP’s core communist ideology has led to the adoption of pseudo-nationalist narratives to fill the void. While Party propaganda constructs its own saints and martyrs, younger generations increasingly turn to foreign icons like Gandhi to reimagine ethical life beyond the Party’s moral economy. This paper draws on digital ethnographic data from Chinese social media platforms (e.g. Douban), and contributes to broader debates about political iconography, post-socialist identity formation, and the remaking of belief in authoritarian contexts.
By highlighting the Party's contradictory stance—critiquing nationalism while invoking it—I suggest that the CCP is trapped in a paradox of self-legitimation that reveals more about its weakness than its strength.
