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Anniversary of Mao's Death Low Key

Saturday marks the 30th anniversary of the death of Mao Zedong, China's most influential premier and founder of the People's Republic of China. China, which still portrays Mao on all its currency, failed to organize any official observance of the milestone and the day was kept rather quiet in the Chinese media. The only noteworthy celebrations of Mao's life on Saturday were at his mausoleum in Beijing, where thousands of Chinese gathered to visit Mao's body, still preserved 30 years later, and at the Mao memorial museum in his hometown of Shaoshan. CCTV, the government television network, didn't mention the anniversary. Mao is known to the Chinese as the leader who pulled their nation out of it's darkest era of war and division and set China on its path of greatness. He is credited, as well, with bringing social and gender equality to China at a time when these ideas were foreign. As the principal cultural icon of China, it seems odd that the anniversary of his death has received such little attention. It is possible the legacy of Mao may be thinning due to the amount of time that has passed. It is also possible, as a China Daily article points out, that the younger generation of China is less connected with Mao's legacy and relate more with entrepreneurship and consumerism, ideals at odds with Mao's philosophy. Or maybe it is that the new prosperity in China causes the Chinese to look forward and not back. Whatever the reason may be, on the 30th anniversary of his death, Chairman Mao was remembered privately and quietly.

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