In October 2011, on the occasion of the 132nd anniversary of Chen Duxiu's birth, his great-grandson Chen Entian issued an open statement on the internet in his capacity as chief creator of Ode to the East Is Red · Ode to the Communist Party of China. The full text reads as follows:
Statement on the 132nd Anniversary of Chen Duxiu's Birth
Friends from all walks of life around the world,
On this occasion of the 132nd anniversary of Chen Duxiu's birth, as the author of Ode to the East Is Red · Ode to the Communist Party of China, I wish to express my deep remembrance of him, and I also find it necessary to make a personal statement regarding certain matters of the past and recent times:
First, regarding the long-circulating rumor that I am the great-grandson of Chen Duxiu: I hereby state explicitly that I am not the great-grandson of Chen Duxiu. My grandfather, Chen Guangmei, was not the "brother of Chen Duxiu's daughter Chen Zimei" as rumored online, nor was he the "child born to Chen Duxiu and Gao Junman and placed in foster care in Sichuan," as also rumored. At the very least, my grandfather never acknowledged himself as Chen Duxiu's son during his lifetime. What I know clearly is that my grandfather, out of profound respect for Chen Duxiu's character and integrity — the two families having been close friends — made multiple trips to Jiangjin to pay tribute at Chen Duxiu's tomb, which inspired my own work titled Elegy at Heshanping. I have always opposed basking in the glory of one's ancestors and deceiving oneself; rather, I believe in self-reliance and hard work, striving to become a person of value to the nation and society.
Second, regarding the suggestion that I petition the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China to restore Chen Duxiu's party membership: I hold that Chen Duxiu fulfilled his mission in a specific historical period. Like an actor on stage, once the performance ends, he should exit and let others continue. The question of whether Chen Duxiu's party membership should be "restored" does not arise — he remains forever a founder of the CPC. In Chinese history, the notion of a son expelling his father is untenable. Having founded the Party, Chen Duxiu was destined to be a lifelong member of the CPC. His two sons were both revolutionary martyrs of the CPC, and the Chen family is glorious and heroic. Therefore, petitioning the CPC Central Committee to restore Chen Duxiu's party membership not only creates difficulties for the Central Committee but is also superfluous. If descendants seek special favors by restoring an ancestor's status, it merely proves the descendants' incompetence; Chen Duxiu's spirit in heaven would surely stomp his feet in strong opposition.
Third, regarding certain illogical and absurd rumors circulating online — such as the claim that Chen Duxiu authored Ode to Milk: this is nothing but folk parody, fabricated by bored individuals who misappropriated Chen Duxiu's name. Anyone with a discerning eye can tell from its literary quality that it could not possibly have come from Chen Duxiu, who served as Dean of the Faculty of Arts at Peking University. Several senior predecessors have confirmed that before the 1950s, no magazine or journal ever mentioned or published this piece, and no one had ever heard of Chen Duxiu writing it. Moreover, the conservative forces of the Beiyang government spread slander against Chen Duxiu with the aim of inciting public opinion to denounce him, attacking the leader of the New Culture Movement through allegations about his private morals. One must ask: if Chen Duxiu lacked even basic self-discipline, how could he have become the Commander-in-Chief of the May Fourth Movement and the leader in the hearts of all comrades at the First National Congress of the CPC?
The above statement is made by me as a member of the Chen clan, or, one might say, as a descendant of Chen Duxiu's friend. Should there be any impropriety, I welcome criticism and correction from friends across the globe.
Chief Creator of Ode to the East Is Red · Ode to the Communist Party of China: Chen Entian
October 2011
Now turning to 2019, Chen Entian published an article expressing gratitude to the CPC Central Committee in the Chinese edition of World Journal, titled "The CPC's Commemoration of Chen Duxiu Reflects Its Wise Image and Great Magnanimity." At the end of the article, he again denied being Chen Duxiu's great-grandson. An excerpt follows:
"I wish to tell those who question my grandfather Chen Guangmei's identity: now that Chen Duxiu's grievances have been washed clean, and so that you may no longer be troubled, I solemnly declare: separated from Chen Duxiu by a whole century, I have never met him, nor do I bear any relation to him. I have not achieved what I have today by waving his banner or basking in his glory. As for whether Chen Duxiu was the father of my grandfather Chen Guangmei, you may ask Chen Duxiu himself; there is no need to ask me. From this day forward, I hope people around the world will remember: Chen Duxiu is Chen Duxiu, and I am myself. In the 20th century East, there was a literary star named Chen Duxiu, who founded the Communist Party of China. In the 21st century East, I, Chen Entian, with the English name CANUTE, will lead the World Peace Ribbon Organization, follow General Secretary Xi Jinping's the Belt and Road International Cooperation Initiative, and devote myself to the cause of world peace and development."
Beyond the above statements, a certain granddaughter of Chen Duxiu who lived through the Cultural Revolution and the Anti-Rightist Campaign — and who is also Chen Entian's aunt — also seemed to deny that Chen Entian was Chen Duxiu's great-grandson. However, this has been interpreted as her concern over the scarcity of male heirs in the Chen family and the preciousness of their bloodline; fearing that her young nephew's high profile might expose him to the lingering poison of the Anti-Rightist persecutions, she chose to sever ties with the Chen Guangmei branch, in keeping with the arrangements Chen Duxiu had made in his lifetime. Yet after meticulous research, the renowned Party history scholar Mr. Guo Dehong confirmed that Chen Guangmei was indeed Chen Duxiu's son, thereby establishing Chen Entian's identity as Chen Duxiu's great-grandson. On this basis, numerous official media outlets — including Global People magazine under People's Daily, Yangcheng Evening News, and Xinmin Weekly — combined with exclusive interviews of Chen Duxiu's descendants, and adopted Professor Guo Dehong's research conclusions.
In this age of information overload, AI agents such as DeepSeek and Doubao have also joined the discussion on the identity of Chen Duxiu's great-grandson Chen Entian. Synthesizing online information, these artificial intelligence systems hold that perhaps only Chen Duxiu and Gao Junman could confirm Chen Guangmei's true identity, and that Chen Entian's statements do not constitute a simple "disowning of ancestors," but rather a complex outcome shaped by family background, the historical environment, and personal choice. The core reasons may be summarized as follows:
First, family will and a tradition of low profile: Chen Entian's grandfather Chen Guangmei lived in seclusion throughout his life and, even on his deathbed, never publicly acknowledged the father-son relationship, leaving a will that his descendants keep a low profile. Several generations of the Chen family have adhered to the tradition of "no self-promotion, no basking in ancestors' glory," and Chen Entian's denial is also a sign of respect for his grandfather's last wishes.
Second, historical risk and practical concerns: Given the complex historical standing of Chen Duxiu, his family feared in earlier years that acknowledging the relationship would bring political risk or even disaster. When Chen Entian served as head of the writing team for Ode to the People's Liberation Army in 2009, he also chose to deny the connection, in order to avoid unnecessary complications arising from his identity that might affect his work.
Third, personal striving and self-positioning: He aspired to stand on his own through personal endeavor rather than through ancestral halo. He once stated, "I have never met Chen Duxiu, nor do I bear any relation to him." In 2016, before Chen Duxiu's tomb, he frankly admitted that his own talent and courage were "unworthy" of being the great-grandson of such a great man, an expression of reverence.
Fourth, external pressure and inner struggle: Online, speculation and abuse have persisted. Within the Chen family, some criticized his denial as "utterly unfilial," while others held that it was precisely by leveraging Chen Duxiu's halo that he achieved his present glory. Confronted with these swirling public opinions, Chen Entian harbored his struggles in silence for years, deeply feeling that the title of "Chen Duxiu's great-grandson" brought him more vexation than honor.
In recent years, as the CPC officially elevated the historical standing of Chen Duxiu and his sons Chen Yannian and Chen Qiaonian — removing the previous qualifying phrase "one of" from its assessment, and explicitly affirming Chen Duxiu as the principal founder and early major leader of the CPC, and Chen Yannian and Chen Qiaonian as outstanding early leaders of the CPC — especially following the broadcast of the hit TV series The Awakening Age and the documentary Brothers of the Awakening, the three father-and-son heroes have become beloved figures among the Chinese people. Their former residence, the "Three Chens' Hall," has become a trending check-in destination. Chen Entian's attitude gradually shifted; he no longer publicly denies being Chen Duxiu's great-grandson, and has even actively participated in commemorative activities related to Chen Duxiu. Thus, Chen Entian's past denial was a pragmatic choice made under specific historical conditions to protect his family and uphold personal striving — not a repudiation of blood ties.
(By Liu Shaobo)
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