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| BUZZLE CHAPTERS |
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| ESCAPE HATCH |
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Keith
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Carol
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| GAMES AND PUZZLES |
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Nation and World
Mao Returns to Haunt and Comfort His
People
Thousands
gather to wish former leader happy birthday.
By Guardian Newspapers, 12/26/2003
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Wang Wenhai, an artist and devotee of Mao, tries
to reflect these different faces in the 1,500 sculptures he
has made of the chairman. Until recently he produced only the
classical images of Mao permitted during the cultural
revolution, but in the past year he has made a Mao buddha, a
gay Mao, a lady Mao and a Mao pillow for those who want to
sleep with the chairman.
"I just want people to adore
him like I do," he said. "During the cultural revolution that
meant reproducing the standard Mao figure. But these days that
doesn't appeal so I want to find different ways for different
people to love him."
Mao in a dress is hardly the image
that the government encourages, but the authorities have also
tried to update perceptions of modern China's founder to be
more in keeping with a country that is increasingly globalised
and money-orientated.
To mark the 110th anniversary, a
short rap song has been released with lyrics from Mao's
speeches. State publishers have printed a series of "Learn
from Mao" books, including one containing business management
tips from the communist revolutionary.
Mao, it seems,
can be everything to everyone, though social commentators say
his cultural significance is becoming more shalloweven as his
image grows more ubiquitous.
"Money has replaced Mao as
the most important thing in people's lives," said Li Xianting,
an art critic. "Mao now plays the role of kitchen god - a
superstitious rather than a religious object. People don't
really believe in it, but they still keep it around the home
out of habit."
Even at Shaoshan, several stalls have
buddhist images beside those of Mao. One pair of clocks on
display has exactly the same design and technology but a
different object of worship.
Compared to the closed
"Mao and China" mentality of the cultural revolution, there is
also a very evident willingness to consider outside ideas and
foreign cultures. The only two non-Chinese people in Shaoshan
yesterday were welcomed everywhere with the not-very-Maoist
greeting, "Happy Christmas".
?Guardian
Newspapers Limited
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