I had debated in my own head for a few days before I finally decided to write this entry. Like a classical Chinese drama, the life of Rong Guo-Tuan (I’ll refer to him as RGT for short from now on) was heroic and inspirational until it all ended in tragedy. Most young people in China today have an inkling of his name, but generally the knowledge is based on school textbook content which recognizes his athletic achievements and contribution to the country, but somehow leaves out how the story really ended. It seems the moral of this story is not something the government would like us to focus on.
RGT was more than a great athlete, he was a national hero who rose out of the shadow of poverty and tuberculosis (thought to be incurable then) to become the first Chinese world champion in modern sports history. He also symbolizes the idealism of China in the 50’s, when Communism appeared to be the answer to every poor man’s prayers. Head full of fervent worship for Chairman Mao and his new People’s Republic, the Ping Pong whiz kid from Hong Kong voluntarily jumped into the bosom of Motherland, believing he had made the best decision of his life. Sure, he had already defeated a former world champion from Japan and had already begun to gain some fame in Hong Kong both for his talents and for his good looks; Sure, a famous actor had already knocked on his doors, offering to be his mentor and help make him a movie star. But RGT was too busy writing letters to Beijing, requesting to be accepted in the Cantonese provincial team. Fame and fortune meant little for him, all he wanted in life was to “render service to the country”. And how can you blame the kid? After all, revolution and patriotism ran in his blood, years earlier his father almost died during the Guangzhou Uprising and one of his uncles did die fighting the Japanese in WWII.
From everything we’ve read about him, we can safely assume RGT was a thinking man. He was a innovator in Ping Pong techniques, inventor of the still widely-used “rotation and no-rotation” serve. He surprised scores of opponents who were too busy laughing at his TB-stricken physique. He was a master strategist later in his career as a coach as well, responsible for another milestone in 1964 when the Chinese women’s Ping Pong team under his helm won world championship for the first time. His “secret weapons” caught the 8-time champion Japanese team unprepared. He was also a well-rounded man by all accounts. Even though his family was too poor to send him to school, as an adult his hobbies were unexpectedly refined, including reading translated foreign novels and enjoying classical music.
Perhaps due to his creativity and intelligence, in only a few short years RGT won world championships in both individual and team categories, both as an athlete and as a coach. His victories inspired millions all over the country to learn to play Ping Pong, or to become a professional athlete in general. He became a role model to his teammates as well as to those who never knew him personally. Political gains and other opportunities came looking for him. Friends pushed for him to write a petition to join the Communist party, but he refused saying he did not think he was “good enough”. Politicians wanted to groom him into a high-level sports official, but he again declined saying he didn’t think he was “suitable”. He did receive a few “special honors” for athletes, empty titles with no previledges attached. In fact his salary was never that different from any of his teammates. Those would have been enough for him, though. RGT never complained since so strong was his idealism that he could have lived on those “honors” alone. However those were soon taken away from him once the “Great Cultural Revolution” began. He unfortunately broke the unspoken rules of “internal struggles” and sided with the “wrong people”. Instead of “drawing a clear line” between him and old superiors who had already been branded as “counterrevolutionaries”, RGT defended them and even tried to appeal for them. As a result he went from “national hero” to “Hong Kong spy” within a few months. His belief system was shattered right before his eyes, with all his ideals trampled upon and laughed at. His dignity and pride were stripped away ruthlessly. Life, which never seemed very important to him in the past comparing to “honor”, now became completely worthless without it. So one night in 1968, at the peak of Cultural Revolution, people found the body of the 31 year old former world champion, hanging in silent protest on a willow tree next to a lake near Beijing.
Even in an era when life was ending everyday by the thousands and people have grown numb over tragedy on such a massive scale, the death of RGT still made an immediate impact. Although there was an ensuing debate about whether he should automatically be considered a counterrevolutionary simply because he killed himself, those in high places did react by ordering for other famous athletes to be released from house arrests and private torture chambers. Even today, when you examine the list of all the famous people who committed suicide during the Cultural Revolution, RGT still stood out as the youngest victim.
Without RGT, we very well may not see the immense popularity that Ping Pong enjoys today in China as its national sport. We also may not see China winning so many Ping Pong gold medals and championships every year in all the major sporting events. He is a hero in my mind. Though I’m not political, I admire him the same way I admire “The 72 Martyrs of Yellow Flower Hill”. These were young people who died for their ideals, perhaps senselessly in some cases, but it showed uncommon courage and the strength of human spirit. Not many people can follow RGT’s footsteps, most people would not be able to accomplish as much as he did in two lifetimes. But the most tragic part of all this is, even now the full story of his life is a tabooed subject in China. Whenever I mention it in discussion forums, people shun the subject like a plague. To the outsiders, it just seems obvious that forcing one of your youngest and brightest talent to take his own life is a horrible mistake on the part of the government. However no one seems to admit or dares to admit this fact. So mothers, I leave you with this advice: Never teach your kids about honor and pride, and please steer away from larger-than-life concepts such as “patriotism” if you wish for them to live long and prosperous, the life and times of RGT is the best illustration of how everything could go wrong.
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