Marshal Lin Biao, who was handpicked by Chairman Mao Zedong to succeed him as
China's leader but who died a traitor, has been resurrected as an army hero in a
new exhibition in Beijing's Military Museum.
Lin's portrait is included
among the 10 marshals who are honored as the founders of the Chinese armed
forces in an exhibition celebrating the 80th anniversary of the People's
Liberation Army on August 1.
Lin, denounced for his "treacherous" plot to
overthrow Mao, is shown with his nine peers in a display rarely seen since his
death in September 1971.
"With objective thinking, we decided to put the
picture of Lin Biao along with the other nine marshals," said Jiang Tingyu,
senior researcher at the Chinese Military Museum. "We have to show history as it
was."
The 10 marshals have been praised since the founding of the
People's Republic of China.
Lin died in a plane crash in Mongolia while
fleeing after a coup attempt. He retained the rank of marshal, but his name and
portrait have rarely appeared in public since.
Widely regarded as a
talented military leader, Lin led the Communist forces in several notable
victories in the wars against Japanese invaders in the 1930s and 1940s and the
Kuomintang regime. He was a principal leader in two of the three biggest
victories over the Kuomintang Army in the late 1940s.
In 1955, Lin was
honored as a marshal.
However, he and Mao held different political views
that developed into a rift. Lin approved a coup against Mao but fled after Mao
learned of his intentions.
Lin's infamy remained even after Mao's death
in 1976. The Supreme People's Court in 1981 determined that Lin was responsible
for "counter-revolutionary" activities. He was identified as the "ringleader of
the coup," but his name is mentioned twice in middle school
textbooks.
The 1997 edition of the Chinese Military Encyclopedia also
commented on both the official judgment against Lin as well as his military
accomplishments.
"The public showing of Lin's picture shows that we respect history," said a
visitor to the Beijing exhibition.
The exhibits include declassified
materials including details on research into atomic weapons and
satellites.
A manually operated mechanical computer, which was used in
atomic weapons research and development, is on public display for the first
time.
The free exhibition will run until August
20.