Definition
牛棚 literally means 'cowshed' or 'cattle shed'. However, it carries a heavy historical and cultural weight from the Cultural Revolution (1966–1976), when intellectuals, party officials, and 'rightists' were imprisoned or sent to labor camps euphemistically called 牛棚 ('ox sheds'). In modern usage, the word can still evoke that historical reference, though its literal agricultural meaning is also common. Be aware of this dual sense — the historical meaning is specific to China's political context.
n.
cowshedcattle shed(historical) makeshift prison or detention camp for intellectuals during the Cultural Revolution
Examples
- 牛棚。Nóngchǎng lǐ yǒu yí gè hěn dà de niú péng.There is a very large cowshed on the farm.
- ，牛棚。Wéngé qījiān, hěn duō zhīshi fènzǐ bèi guān jìn le niú péng.During the Cultural Revolution, many intellectuals were locked up in 'ox sheds'.
- 牛棚。Zhège cūnzi lǐ de niú péng yǐjīng fèiqì le.The cattle shed in this village has already been abandoned.
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