---
title: '"乘风破浪 各显神通" (Brave the wind and waves, each shows their powers), Great Leap Forward poster'
url: https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/brave-the-wind-and-waves-great-leap-forward-poster-china-1958/
description: A colour poster headed '乘風破浪 各顯神通' shows a worker on a gear-shaped surfboard, a soldier driving a red tractor, villagers with a sheaf of grain
section: Collection
---

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3. "乘风破浪 各显神通" (Brave the wind and waves, each shows their powers), Great

[!["乘风破浪 各显神通", 1958 China poster: A colour poster headed '乘風破浪 各顯神通' shows a worker on a gear-shaped surfboard, a soldier](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/images/brave-the-wind-and-waves-great-leap-forward-poster-china-1958.jpg)](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/images/brave-the-wind-and-waves-great-leap-forward-poster-china-1958.jpg)

# "乘风破浪 各显神通" (Brave the wind and waves, each shows their powers), Great Leap Forward poster

A colour poster headed '乘風破浪 各顯神通' shows a worker on a gear-shaped surfboard, a soldier driving a red tractor, villagers with a sheaf of grain and a banner, and a monkey figure on a rocket, all crossing a rough sea in one direction. The tell is the borrowed myth: the slogan comes from the Daoist Eight Immortals crossing the sea, each by their own power, and the poster transfers that prestige to Great Leap Forward labour and machinery, while the crowd moving as one makes participation look general (bandwagon).

## Propaganda techniques used in this poster

[Transfer](https://propagandaarchive.org/techniques/transfer/) [Bandwagon](https://propagandaarchive.org/techniques/bandwagon/)

## Full record

Region, Country, Medium, Issuer type, Regime, Leader, Audience, Purpose, Themes, Event, Source, Rights

## Text on the object

Original (Chinese) · read from the image, not independently checked

Original (Chinese) · read from the image, not independently checked

```
乘風破浪 各顯神通
```

English translation (machine translation by Claude, not verified by a fluent reader)

```
Brave the wind and ride the waves, each shows their own magic powers.
```

Headline in red across the top; small print at the lower right edge is a publisher imprint and was not read.

[← 4 de Julio Independence Day poster (Spanish photo-sheet poster distributed in Latin America)](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/4-de-julio-us-independence-day-photo-sheet-spanish/) ["除四害！" (Eliminate the four pests!), Chinese campaign poster →](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/chu-si-hai-eliminate-four-pests-poster-china-1958/)

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