BEIJING, June 23 -- More than 120,000 files from 1949 to 1974 opened to the public at the Guangdong Provincial Archives on Tuesday, including some from the "Cultural Revolution," Chinese-language newspapers reported.

    It was quite rare for archives to open files from the "Cultural Revolution" from 1966 to 1976 to the public, the reports said.

    Most of the files are official documents, which could help interested people to learn more about the history during the period when China was almost completely separated from the Western countries.

    Government files kept in China's archives are inaccessible to the public within 30 years, according to Chinese law.

    And not all government files could be made public if they concerned national secrets, said Zhang Anping, a director at the archives.

    The provincial archives' decision to open the files had got the green light from related government departments, Zhang said.

    The files would provide authentic materials for scholars to learn what was happening during the special period, he said.

    While the nation was talking about how to relieve primary and middle school students of the heavy burden of studying, a file opened from this time showed that late Chinese Chairman Mao Zedong mentioned the problem in 1964. Another file, a notice from the Central Government in 1960, required every primary student to get nine to 10 hours' sleep.

    Visitors to the archive could also find many foreign currencies confiscated by "Red Guards" from rich families during the "Cultural Revolution." Chairman Mao called for young students to become "Red Guards" and overthrow the ruling of bureaucratic authorities during the "Revolution." During that special period, "Red Guards" had the right to break into the houses of the rich and take away anything they thought as improper.

    One of the files opened this time, a notice from the Central Government in 1968, required "Red Guards" to hand in everything they took from the "exploiting class."

    Visitors could also find an interesting investigative report 32 years ago about the disputes between Chinese soccer fans and players from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. The fans attacked the foreign players with water, hats and fruit peels. The Central Government established a task force to investigate the incident in 1973.

    (Source: Shenzhen Daily)