The "Four Pests" was yet another campaign targeted at the destruction of rats, mosquitoes, sparrows, and flies. Initiated in 1956 parallel to the Great Leap Forward, the "Four Pests Campaign" contributed to environmental disintegration and gave way to insects harming crops and seeds. The hygiene campaign asked the population to actively kill the animals. Educational illustrated booklets and posters were distributed all over the country to teach the population about hygienic risks and diseases posed by mosquitoes, rats, and cockroaches. A variety of methods how to kill the pests was developed. For instance, to get rid of sparrows as much noise as possible was produced to keep them up in the air so they eventually would die of exhaustion.

The result was even recognized by foreign visitors who only stayed for a few weeks; architect Hillebrecht, a member of the German architects’ delegation to China of 1957 gives the following account: “During the whole trip I only encountered 16 dogs, nine cats, two flies, but no sparrow.” (Süddeutsche, 1957) Although he recognized the lack of sparrows, he was not aware of the campaign.
To explain the lack of sparrows he stated: “In the whole country bags are attached to certain fertiliser-secreting body parts of the horses and donkeys – the main means of transportation – so that the sparrows do not find any food in the streets.”* (Ibid.) (CL)

Sources:
(1957): China ohne Spatzen und Katzen. In:Süddeutsche Zeitung.19.6.1957
*“Für das Fehlen der Spatzen hat er eine einleichtende Erklärung: Im ganzen Land den Pferden und Eseln, den Hauptverkehrsmitteln unter die bewußten Teile, Düngemittel absondernden Körperteile Säcke gebunden, sodas die Sperlinge auf der Straße kein Futter finden.”