Background and Early Life
Peng Pai was born on October 22, 1896, into the elite segment of society as a landlord offspring (dizhu chushen 地主出身) and an heir to great wealth. The Peng family was of cantonese origin, with about 30 members, owning lands cultivated by peasant tenants who, with their families, numbered more than 1,500; so each one of the Peng family controlled about 50 peasants.
Peng Pai’s sociopolitical views were partly influenced by his mother, Zhou Feng (周凤). Zhou Feng came from an impoverished family. At the age of eighteen, she was sold by her parents as a concubine to Peng Pai’s father Peng Xin (彭辛，another first-name Shou-yin 寿殷). At that time, Peng Xin already had two sons by his first wife. Pai’s mother had three sons of her own: Peng Hanyuan (彭汉垣), Peng Pai, and Peng Shu (彭述). Hanyuan and Shu later actively joined and assisted Pai in the peasant movement launched and led by Pai. All three brothers lost their lives for this cause. They are officially honored as “Revolutionary Martyrs” by the People’s Republic of China.
- In 1916, as a student in the local Haifeng County High School (now named as “Peng Pai Memorial High School” since 1955), Peng Pai became rebellious. He protested against the local gentry’s plan to placate a hostile official by building a statue of this local warlord.
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