China Post is to issue a four-edition stamp set on November 16 depicting various moments in the life of Mao Zedong in honour of the 120th anniversary of the former leader's birth (on December 26, 1893).
Xi Jinping has directed that celebrations for Mao's 120th birthday should be "solemn, simple, and pragmatic". Authorities in Shaoshan, Hunan province, where the revolutionary leader was born have directed that celebrations should be anything but, "Shaoshan is making the commemoration of comrade Mao Zedong's birthday the paramount political mandate that overrides everything."
The events on December 26 marking the 120th anniversary of [Mao's] birth will include 10,000 people singing a song comparing the revolutionary leader to the rising sun. Another 10,000 will eat "auspicious" birthday noodles at various locations.
The provincial government has spent 1.9 billion yuan ($327 million) revamping and upgrading current tourist facilities in Mao's birthplace, which include a museum and a visitor's centre.
A cartoon about Mao's early years is also in development, a teenage Mao and his canine sidekick (seriously) will solve mysteries and learn about communism and the importance of flossing.
[Images via ECNS]
0 User Comments