Published : 2025-02-25

On February 25, 1981, China's nine organisations, including the All-China Federation of Trade Unions, the Central Committee of Communist Youth League, the All-China Women's Federation, and the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles, jointly issued the proposal to the entire nation, especially the youth.

The campaign was to promote the "Five Stresses and Four Beauties" (五講四美) of civilised and polite behaviour.

The "Five Stresses" refer to stressing civilisation, stressing courtesy, stressing hygiene, stressing order, and stressing morality; the "Four Beauties" refer to the beauty of the mind, beauty of language, beauty of behaviour, and beauty of the environment.

The "Five Stresses and Four Beauties" is a mass campaign aimed at building socialist spiritual civilisation, with the hope of improving the social atmosphere and moral outlook of urban and rural China through the promotion of positive thoughts and values.

The slogan "Five Stresses and Four Beauties" was quickly accepted by the general public upon its introduction, becoming a widely recognised guiding principle in social life.

In February 1983, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China further proposed the campaign for a "National Month of Civilised and Polite Behaviour," adding "Three Loves" to the "Five Stresses and Four Beauties".

The "Three Loves" include the love for the Party, the love for the people, and the love for socialism, forming the "Five Stresses, Four Beauties, and Three Loves".

At this time, the "Five Stresses, Four Beauties, and Three Loves Campaign Committee," chaired by Wan Li (萬里), was also established.