About Nien Cheng
Nien Cheng lived in Shanghai, China, during a wave of communist rule, starting in 1949, which transformed into the Cultural Revolution in 1966. She lived with her husband, Kang-chi, and their daughter, Meiping. Both Nien and Kang-chi Cheng received Westernized educations and worked for the Chinese branch of Shell, a British owned oil company. The couple and their daughter faced many hardships under the new communist government. Cheng worked for Shell after her husband passed away from cancer in 1957. As recounted in her memoir, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) imprisoned Cheng after they accused her of being a foreign spy. She writes that the CCP guards subjected her to inhumane conditions at the prison until her release in 1973. Cheng left China in 1980 and published a memoir titled Life and Death in Shanghai in 1986.
Life and Death in Shanghai
Life and Death in Shanghai, published in 1986, is Nien Cheng’s personal memoir about her experiences during China’s Cultural Revolution. Throughout her memoir, she describes hardships and successes, highlighting her perseverance and personal faith. Cheng went on numerous lecture tours to share her personal account of the trials and tribulations she revealed in her memoir. In both her book and her lectures, she reminisced on her family, personal accomplishments, personal loss, her imprisonment, and the freedom she found in the United States. Her memoir inspired many individuals and influenced Slippery Rock University administrator Louis Razzano to invite her to Slippery Rock University’s Honors Convocation.
Freedom and Citizenship
The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) released Nien Cheng from prison in Shanghai in 1973, and forcibly moved her from her original home into a new apartment. Cheng maintained her innocence while imprisoned and continued to do so after her release. Despite that, the CCP continued to surveil her until she left China in 1980. Cheng applied for a visiting visa to Canada followed by another visiting visa to the United States. On August 16th, 1988, the United States granted Cheng citizenship at the Statue of Liberty. Thereafter, Cheng frequently expressed her gratitude for the freedom and liberty she experienced in the United States and made continuous efforts to give back to the country which granted her freedom. Cheng recounts her personal feelings in a document titled “My Life in the United States.”
Cultural Impact
Nien Cheng toured the United States after the debut of her memoir. She connected with various news outlets, government officials, newspapers, filmmakers, academics, and universities. She shared her personal experiences during the Cultural Revolution based on her recollections in Life and Death in Shanghai.
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Nien Cheng Timeline
Explore the influential historical moments and important occasions throughout Cheng’s life, career, and impact on Slippery Rock University.