The New Life Movement (Chinese: 新生活運動) was set up by Chiang Kai-shek and his wife Soong May-ling in February, 1934, to promote traditional Confucian social ethics, while rejecting individualism and Western capitalistic values. It also aimed to build up morale in a nation that was besieged with corruption, factionalism, and opium addiction. Some goals included courtesy to neighbors, following rules set by the government, keeping streets clean, conserving energy, and so forth. Chiang Kai-shek used the Confucian notion of self-cultivation and correct living for this movement. An additonal goal was to rally the Chinese people against the Communists. While some have praised the movement for its role in raising the quality of life somewhat during the war with Japan, other have criticized it for its lofty goals that were out of touch with the suffering of the general populace.

See also:

• History of the Republic of China
• May Fourth Movement

Sources:

• Columbia University - East Asian Curriculum Project: Chiang Kai-shek's "On The Need For a New Life Movement"