Remembering Chairman Mao: Admirers flock to birthplace of late Chinese leader

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Shao-shan is a small city in central China's Hunan Province. It's most famous for being the birthplace of the late Chinese leader Mao Zedong. More than 40 years after he passed away, admirers from all over the world still flock here to pay their respects. CGTN's Yang Jinghao has more.

Presenting flower baskets one after another then bowing deeply.

In front of the massive bronze statue of the late Chinese leader Mao Zedong, visitors from all walks of life, including new couples, pay their tributes in such a simple yet devout manner.

This scene takes place almost every day in Shaoshan, the birthplace of the former leader known as Chairman Mao.

LI ZHIQIANG VISITOR "This trip greatly inspired me and gave me strength. I think we young people should still learn his great ideas today."

Born in 1893, Mao spent 17 years in Shaoshan before he left to pursue his further education.

More than four decades after he passed away, the small city is still one of the country's most popular tourism destinations. And his former residence is a must-see for his admirers from both home and abroad.

WANG JIALIAN VISITOR "I feel excited! I have been longing to visit Chairman Mao's residence in his hometown. Today, my daughter finally helped me realize my long-cherished wish."

SIMPLICE FLORENTIN BOBY VISITOR FROM CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC "We know much about Chairman Mao. We all think that he contributed a lot to China and respect him very much. I'm glad that I finally got the opportunity to visit the place he used to live."

According to official data, more than 20 million visitors came to Shaoshan in 2017, some nine percent more than the previous year.

YANG JINGHAO SHAOSHAN "Actually, it's easy to see that Chairman Mao's influence on his hometown is everywhere and ever-growing, as the tourism prospers and create more opportunities to local people to cash in."

Like most local families, 47-year-old Tian Haiming also places statues and portraits of Mao in his home and company in memory of the great leader, and to pray for good fortune.

Over the past 25 years, he has collected tens of thousands of similar items.

In the early days, he also benefited from producing all kinds of statues for customers around the country. Now, he is determined to promote the chairman's ideas and spirits.

TIAN HAIMING SHAOSHAN RESIDENT "In fact, Mao Zedong's ideas are displayed in many forms, including his poetry, calligraphy and many important remarks, and all these should be passed down to the younger generation."

To achieve this, Tian plans to establish a private museum to share his collections. He says he has responsibility to do so.

YJH, CGTN, Shaoshan, Hunan Province.