zǒuzīpài: 走资派 - Capitalist Roader

• Keywords: 走资派, zǒuzīpài, Capitalist Roader, Chinese Cultural Revolution, Mao Zedong, Deng Xiaoping, Chinese political history, what is zouzipai, Chinese communist party, political labels in China.
• Summary: “走资派 (zǒuzīpài)” is a powerful and historically significant Chinese political term meaning “Capitalist Roader.” Coined during the Maoist era, particularly the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976), it was a derogatory label for high-ranking Communist Party officials accused of betraying socialism and leading China down the “capitalist road.” This entry explores the term's historical weight, its character breakdown, and why, despite its historical importance, it is almost never used in modern everyday Chinese.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): zǒu zī pài
• Part of Speech: Noun
• HSK Level: N/A
• Concise Definition: A pejorative term for a person in power within the Communist Party who is accused of steering society toward capitalism.
• In a Nutshell: Imagine being in a deeply religious society and accusing a priest of secretly being a devil worshipper. That's the level of accusation “走资派” carried during China's Cultural Revolution. It wasn't a simple policy disagreement; it was a charge of ultimate betrayal against the communist cause. This label was used to purge powerful officials, and being branded a “capitalist roader” could destroy your life, career, and family.

• 走 (zǒu): To walk, to go, to travel, or to follow a path.
• 资 (zī): A shorthand for 资本主义 (zīběnzhǔyì), which means “capitalism.” The character itself relates to money, resources, or capital.
• 派 (pài): A faction, a group, a clique, or a school of thought.

When combined, 走资派 (zǒu zī pài) literally translates to the “faction that walks the capitalist path.” This vivid imagery was used to create a clear enemy for political campaigns: someone who looked like a communist on the outside but was leading the people astray towards the perceived evils of capitalism.

The term 走资派 is inseparable from the Cultural Revolution (文化大革命), one of the most tumultuous periods in modern Chinese history. It was not just an insult; it was a political weapon.

• Mao's Tool for Purges: Mao Zedong and his allies used this label to target and remove political rivals within the Communist Party who they felt were undermining the socialist revolution. The most famous targets were Liu Shaoqi and Deng Xiaoping, who were branded the “Number One and Number Two Capitalist Roaders.”
• Consequences: Being labeled a 走资派 was a political death sentence. It led to public humiliation sessions called “struggle sessions” (批斗), removal from power, imprisonment, forced labor, and in many cases, death.
• Western Comparison: A useful, though imperfect, comparison is the term “communist” during the McCarthy era in the United States. In both cases, a political label was used to incite public fear, ruin careers, and enforce ideological conformity. However, 走资派 was unique because it was used *within* a ruling Communist Party by one faction against another, accusing them of not being communist *enough*. The state-sanctioned violence that followed the accusation in China was also far more direct and widespread.

This term reflects a period where ideological purity was paramount, and any policy that seemed to incorporate market mechanisms or individual incentives could be attacked as a step on the “capitalist road.”

In modern China, 走资派 is almost exclusively a historical term. You will not hear it in everyday conversation. Its use is confined to:

• Historical Contexts: Discussing the Cultural Revolution in books, films, documentaries, and academic papers.
• Internet Slang (Rare): On rare occasions, some online ultra-leftists or Maoist sympathizers might use the term to criticize China's current market-oriented economic policies. This is a very fringe usage and is not mainstream.
• Ironic/Joking Usage (Extremely Rare): Someone might jokingly call a friend who is obsessed with making money a 走资派, but this is rare and requires a deep understanding of the historical context to land as a joke. For a learner, it's best to avoid using it entirely.

Essentially, the term carries too much historical baggage and pain to be used casually. Using it incorrectly could be seen as ignorant or deeply insensitive.

• Example 1:
  • 在文化大革命期间，他被打成了走资派。
  • Pinyin: Zài Wénhuà Dàgémìng qījiān, tā bèi dǎ chéngle zǒuzīpài.
  • English: During the Cultural Revolution, he was branded a “capitalist roader.”
  • Analysis: This is the most common way you'll see the term used—describing a historical event. The structure “被打成 (bèi dǎ chéng)” means “to be labeled as” or “branded as,” often with a negative political label.
• Example 2:
  • 历史课本里提到了“走资派”这个词。
  • Pinyin: Lìshǐ kèběn lǐ tídào le “zǒuzīpài” zhège cí.
  • English: The history textbook mentioned the term “capitalist roader.”
  • Analysis: This sentence shows how the term is encountered today—as a historical concept to be learned, not a term to be used.
• Example 3:
  • 邓小平曾被称为“党内第二号走资派”，但后来他领导了改革开放。
  • Pinyin: Dèng Xiǎopíng céng bèi chēngwéi “dǎng nèi dì èr hào zǒuzīpài”, dàn hòulái tā lǐngdǎo le Gǎigé Kāifàng.
  • English: Deng Xiaoping was once called the “number two capitalist roader in the Party,” but he later led the Reform and Opening-Up.
  • Analysis: This sentence highlights the immense historical irony associated with the term. The man accused of being a top capitalist roader ended up implementing the very policies that transformed China's economy.
• Example 4:
  • “打倒走资派！”是当时很常见的口号。
  • Pinyin: “Dǎdǎo zǒuzīpài!” shì dāngshí hěn chángjiàn de kǒuhào.
  • English: “Down with the capitalist roaders!” was a very common slogan at that time.
  • Analysis: This sentence provides an example of the term's use in political slogans (口号, kǒuhào) during the Cultural Revolution.
• Example 5:
  • 很多被划为走资派的干部后来都得到了平反。
  • Pinyin: Hěnduō bèi huàwéi zǒuzīpài de gànbù hòulái dōu dédào le píngfǎn.
  • English: Many cadres who were designated as “capitalist roaders” were later politically rehabilitated.
  • Analysis: This shows the aftermath. 平反 (píngfǎn) is a crucial related concept, meaning to “reverse a verdict” or “rehabilitate,” which happened to countless victims after the Cultural Revolution ended.
• Example 6:
  • 我的爷爷从不谈论他被当作走资派批斗的经历。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ de yéye cóngbù tánlùn tā bèi dàngzuò zǒuzīpài pīdòu de jīnglì.
  • English: My grandfather never talks about his experience of being struggled against as a “capitalist roader.”
  • Analysis: This sentence illustrates the deep personal trauma associated with the term. 批斗 (pīdòu) refers to the violent and humiliating “struggle sessions” that accused individuals were subjected to.
• Example 7:
  • 这部电影真实地再现了走资派在那个年代的遭遇。
  • Pinyin: Zhè bù diànyǐng zhēnshí de zàixiàn le zǒuzīpài zài nàge niándài de zāoyù.
  • English: This movie realistically portrays the plight of “capitalist roaders” during that era.
  • Analysis: A modern context where one might encounter the term: in historical media. 遭遇 (zāoyù) means “unfortunate experience” or “plight.”
• Example 8:
  • 理解“走资派”这个概念是理解文革的关键之一。
  • Pinyin: Lǐjiě “zǒuzīpài” zhège gàiniàn shì lǐjiě Wéngé de guānjiàn zhīyī.
  • English: Understanding the concept of “capitalist roader” is one of the keys to understanding the Cultural Revolution.
  • Analysis: This emphasizes the term's academic and historical importance for anyone studying modern China.
• Example 9:
  • 在当时的政治气氛下，任何改革的提议都可能被视为走资派的证据。
  • Pinyin: Zài dāngshí de zhèngzhì qìfēn xià, rènhé gǎigé de tíyì dōu kěnéng bèi shìwéi zǒuzīpài de zhèngjù.
  • English: In the political atmosphere of the time, any proposal for reform could be seen as evidence of being a “capitalist roader.”
  • Analysis: This sentence explains the mechanism of the accusation—it was often based on policy ideas rather than concrete actions, creating a climate of fear.
• Example 10:
  • 他开玩笑说，自己这么爱赚钱，在过去肯定是个走资派。
  • Pinyin: Tā kāiwánxiào shuō, zìjǐ zhème ài zhuànqián, zài guòqù kěndìng shì ge zǒuzīpài.
  • English: He joked that since he loves making money so much, he definitely would have been a “capitalist roader” in the past.
  • Analysis: This demonstrates the rare, ironic modern usage. The humor comes from the huge gap between today's materialistic values and the ideology of the past. This is an advanced and nuanced usage.

• Don't Confuse with “Capitalist”: The biggest mistake is to think 走资派 just means “capitalist.” A capitalist (资本家, zīběnjiā) is someone who owns capital (e.g., a factory owner, an investor). A 走资派 was specifically a person *inside the communist system* accused of leading it towards capitalism. The essence of the term is betrayal from within.
• It's Not a General Insult for the Rich: Do not call a wealthy business owner or a friend who likes luxury brands a 走资派. It doesn't fit the context and shows a misunderstanding of its serious political and historical weight. The modern term for someone who is a “nouveau riche” is 暴发户 (bàofāhù).
• Avoid Using It: As a learner, the best practice is to understand this term for historical context but to never use it in conversation. It is a loaded term that can dredge up painful memories and is completely out of place in modern life.

• 文化大革命 (Wénhuà Dàgémìng) - The Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution (1966-1976), the political campaign during which the term 走资派 was most prominent.
• 红卫兵 (Hóngwèibīng) - The Red Guards; student-led paramilitary groups mobilized by Mao to attack the 走资派 and other perceived enemies of the revolution.
• 批斗 (pīdòu) - To “struggle against”; public sessions of criticism and humiliation where accused individuals were verbally and physically abused. This was a common fate for a 走资派.
• 修正主义 (xiūzhèngzhǔyì) - “Revisionism”; another serious political accusation, often used alongside 走资派, for allegedly “revising” core Marxist-Leninist principles and thus betraying the revolution.
• 平反 (píngfǎn) - To rehabilitate; the act of officially reversing a past political verdict and restoring someone's reputation, which happened to many accused 走资派 after Mao's death.
• 改革开放 (Gǎigé Kāifàng) - The “Reform and Opening-Up” policy initiated by Deng Xiaoping in 1978, which moved China towards a market economy and makes his earlier label as a 走资派 deeply ironic.
• 反革命 (fǎngémìng) - “Counter-revolutionary”; a broader and extremely severe political label for an enemy of the Communist state.
• 资本主义 (zīběnzhǔyì) - Capitalism; the economic system that the 走资派 were accused of promoting.