All that Mao memorabilia? I think that short of an outside force coming in and completely vanquishing a regime and it leader, the people of a nation are never going to fully turn their back on the founder of their modern nation-state no matter how mixed his legacy may be. Perhaps, we’ll just have to chalk that up to “Yes, he was a dictator, but at least he was our dictator.”And my portrait with Mao? After three days, the city of Lijiang wore down my resolve. I had my picture taken with Mao Zedong –well at least his wax likeness. But just for the record, I was pointing out to him a particularly heart-wrenching passage from “Wild Swans,” waging my finger, and asking him to give account for his actions.
Later, as I examined the picture, I noticed that waxy Mao was freakishly large. The sculptors had made him ever so slightly bigger than life-size. I shouldn’t have been surprised. The currently regime in Beijing has a vested interested in making sure that Mao Zedong looms large in the minds of the people. After all, they are direct beneficiaries of Mao’s legacy. Continued veneration of Mao helps to solidify their hold on power.
Mao Zedong: bigger than life. Literally.
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