In 1927 the newly established Guomindang government in Nanjing attempted to establish an intellectual orthodoxy based on the ideas of Sun Yat - sen .
Intellectuals continued to operate with a certain degree of freedom in universities and treaty ports .
In 1927 the newly established Guomindang government in Nanjing attempted to establish an intellectual orthodoxy based on the ideas of Sun Yat - sen , but intellectuals continued to operate with a certain degree of freedom in universities and treaty ports .