Five Black Categories

The "Five Black Categories" (Chinese: 黑五类; pinyin: Hēiwǔlèi) were classifications of political identity and social status in Mao era (1949–1976) of the People's Republic of China, especially during the Chinese Cultural Revolution (1966–1976); these categories include landlords, rich farmers, counter-revolutionaries, bad influencers, and rightists. People who were labelled as members of these five groups were discriminated against in society and were considered enemies of the Cultural Revolution, subject to constant persecution and even massacres. Most members of the Five Black Categories were rehabilitated in the Boluan Fanzheng period after the Cultural Revolution.