ically ▁up ▁to ▁the ▁present ▁day ▁and ▁are ▁typically ▁accompanied ▁by ▁the ▁liberal ▁use ▁of ▁capital ▁pun ishment ▁and ▁occasionally ▁even ▁mass ▁execution s . ▁This ▁stands ▁in ▁contrast ▁to ▁the ▁Ma o ▁era , ▁where ▁execution s ▁were ▁relatively ▁rare ▁after ▁the ▁C CP ' s ▁cons olid ation ▁of ▁power ▁during ▁ 1 9 5 0 - 5 2 ▁and ▁crim inals ▁were ▁generally ▁pun ished ▁with ▁labor ▁reform ▁and ▁political ▁re ed uc ation . ▁ ▁T ian an men ▁Square ▁protest s ▁ ▁At ▁the ▁same ▁time , ▁political ▁diss ent ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁social ▁problems , ▁including ▁infl ation , ▁political ▁cor ruption , ▁massive ▁urban ▁migration , ▁and ▁prost itution ▁emer ged . ▁The ▁ 1 9 8 0 s ▁saw ▁a ▁sur ge ▁in ▁intellectual ▁material ▁as ▁the ▁country ▁emer ged ▁from ▁the ▁conform ity ▁of ▁the ▁Cultural ▁Revolution ; ▁the ▁time ▁period ▁between ▁ 1 9 8 2 – 8 9 ▁saw ▁freedom ▁of ▁the ▁press ▁like ▁never ▁before , ▁and ▁has ▁since ▁then ▁never ▁been ▁seen ▁again . ▁Two ▁prominent ▁schools ▁of ▁thought ▁emer ged . ▁One ▁school ▁composed ▁of ▁students ▁and ▁intellect uals ▁who ▁ur ged ▁greater ▁economic ▁and ▁political ▁re forms ; ▁the ▁other , ▁composed ▁of ▁revolution ary ▁party ▁el ders , ▁became ▁increasing ly ▁ske pt ical ▁on ▁the ▁pace ▁and ▁the ▁ult imate ▁goals ▁of ▁the ▁reform ▁program , ▁as ▁it ▁devi ated ▁from ▁the ▁intended ▁direction ▁of ▁the ▁Commun ist ▁Party . ▁ ▁Hard - lin ers ▁in