let a thousand flowers bloom

let a thousand flowers bloom

A phrase encouraging the simultaneous existence of many ideas or things. The phrase (originally "let a hundred flowers bloom") was associated with the "Hundred Flowers Campaign" in the People's Republic of China in the late 1950s. The short-lived campaign seemingly allowed criticism of the government—though only within certain parameters before a return to violent suppression. For how long after Mao Zedong urged people to "let a thousand flowers bloom" was criticism actually accepted?

See also: bloom, flower, let, thousand

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.