The March on Lyon


In 1921, France gave hospitality to approximately 2000 Chinese student-workers who were following the "diligent work and frugal study" principle defined by Li Shizeng. Many of them, victims of the economic crisis, were out of work: they saw in the Lyon Sino-French Institute the solution to their problems and hoped to be admitted without undergoing a selective examination.

On the basis of the entry rules defined in the statutes of the institute, Lyon University rejected this request, and the Chinese authorities took an ambiguous position on the matter. Exasperated, the student-workers of the Paris region decided to march on Lyon and mobilized theirs fellow students from Mortargis, le Creusot, Saint-Chamond…

On September 21st, about one hundred of them [PDF format ] occupied Fort Saint-Irénée, seat of the Sino-French Institute. At the same time, the Chinese students selected in China had reached the port in Marseilles.

The police reacted quickly and imprisoned the rebels at Fort Montluc, from where they multiplied leaflets and calls to the Lyon population. After never-ending discussions, the French government expelled 104 student-workers, via Marseilles.

At the same time, the Institute opened its doors... welcoming the first wave of Chinese students officially selected.

Several French, Chinese and English documents have been devoted to the analysis of these incidents, among them:

BOUCHEZ, Daniel, "Un Défricheur méconnu des études extrême-orientales : Maurice Courant (1865-1935)", Journal Asiatique, vol. CCLXXI, n° 1-2, 1983, p. 43-150.

YANN, Philippe, "La marche sur Lyon", in L'Institut franco-chinois de Lyon : un exemple réussi de collaboration ?, Lyon, 1998, 2 vol., p. 42-47. (Final dissertation, Lyon 2 University, June 1998).

WANG, Nora, Emigration et politique : les étudiants-ouvriers chinois en France 1919-1925, Paris, Les Indes Savantes, 2002. [V. the chapter entitled "L'affaire de Lyon", p. 213-228, and the rich bibliographical references].

Wei Zhonghua zhi jue qi 1921 : jinnian Zhongguo gongchandang chengli 80 zhounian [=1921 : le point de départ fondamental de la RPC : commémoration du 80ème anniversaire de la création du PCC].
http://www.cass.net.cn/zhuanti/y_party/ya/ya_g/ya_g_009b.htm
(Page checked on 15/03/2005)