The Hundred Flowers Campaign was a movement launched by the Chinese Communist Party in May of 1956. It was a period of time when Chinese citizens were encouraged to openly criticize the Chinese government and its policies. The goal of the campaign was to allow a diverse range of opinions to be expressed and heard by the government, which was hoping to create a more open society.

The campaign was initiated by Mao Zedong and lasted for roughly six months. During this period, citizens were encouraged to voice their opinions on a wide range of political and social topics, including education, labor, law, and literature. The state-run media broadcasted the call for criticism and praised the fact that people were coming forward with their opinions.

Unfortunately, the campaign quickly turned sour when the government began to take a harsher stance against those voicing criticism. As the criticism of the government increased, the government began to crack down on the critics, arresting and sometimes executing those deemed to be overly negative or dangerous to the government.

The Hundred Flowers Campaign was ultimately seen as a failure, as it failed to create a more open society and only resulted in increased government suppression of dissent. The campaign is often viewed as one of the most significant mistakes of the Chinese Communist Party and is a cautionary tale for other governments who wish to encourage open and honest dialogue with their citizens.