Starting in May 1966, the process of China?s socialist construction was disturbed by the ?cultural revolution.? The ?cultural revolution? was wrongly launched by the leadership and was exploited by counterrevolutionary cliques. It was a domestic turmoil that brought serious disasters to the Party, the state and people of all nationalities. Shown here are documents that marked the launching of the ?cultural revolution? -- the ?May 16 Circular? and the ?decision on the Great Proletariat Cultural Revolution?.