ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews the historical developments of Yuwen as a school subject and analyses the major debates that have been shaping the identity and developmental directions of this school subject in Mainland China since the foundation of the People's Republic of China. These debates primarily centre on issues of the relationship between the Yuwen subject and the ever-changing ideologies of the Chinese Communist Party. Drawing on contemporary literacy theories, I contend that Yuwen education in China, testifying to the power relations, both external and internal, has demonstrated fierce interactions between the control and dominance of the political authorities on the one hand, and the resistance and compromise of the professional community on the other.
