Miraculous Máo

Despite his waxen rigidity, Máo Zédōng is not without influence even today. A few years ago, peasants in one Shǎnxī Province village built a temple to him, which was closed down as soon as it was discovered by officials.

While a recent revival of his cult is ebbing, double-sided images of him can still sometimes be found hanging from the rear-view mirrors of minibuses and taxis — one the familiar plump face, the other a younger, slimmer figure, but still with the trademark mole on his chin. He functions as a Saint Christopher, although the appalling death rate on China’s roads might be said to demonstrate that he is as effective in death as in life.

But even while Máo was still alive, claims of the miraculous power of his thought were a staple of China’s ‘news’ services, and claims for its death-defying powers easily matched those of the bullet-proofing amulets of the Boxers at the beginning of the 20th century.

For example, the Xīnhuá News Agency reported that Máo Zédōng thought assisted the revival of a peasant dead for 23 minutes from electric shock (30 January 1969); that studying Máo Zédōng thought had given another peasant remission from cancer (14 September 1969); and that hanging Máo’s portrait in a battleship would prevent it from being lost in stormy weather (Radio Běijīng, 6 December 1967).

Unfortunately, any attempt to touch the hem of his garment these days will cause nothing more miraculous than instant arrest.

Return to Tián’ān Mén Square.

Tiān’ān Mén stories: Square of Heavenly Discord, The Shock of the New.

Links below to neighbouring sights and to other Běijīng stories. Or see Main Index to A Better Guide to Běijīng.