Introduction - Statue of Mao in Central Shaoshan, Mao's Birthplace

Shaoshan, in Hunan province, was a major tourist site during the Cultural Revolution (1966-76) when millions of youth boarded trains and visited sites that were sacred to the history of Chairman Mao. Pilgrimages to this small town again surged during the late 1980s and early 90s with the resurgence of the cult of Mao, a nostalgic craze for the idealism and youthful freedoms remembered into the chaos of the Cultural Revolution. Local tour guides at Shaoshan teach visitors the long unfamiliar postures of bowing and offering incense and flowers to Mao's image, an act of feudal superstition Mao tried to eradicate.

The experience of this theme park is about consumption, rather than understanding the meaning of Mao's contribution to radical revolution. As Jennifer Hubbert pointed out, the first thing one notices when approaching the park is that the entrance is constructed in the shape of a gigantic M, vaguely reminiscent of the more ubiquitous Golden Arches of french fry fame. This entrance is flanked by a series of small retail outlets staffed by bored clerks, languidly fanning themselves in front of their wares, including film, drinks and a variety of Mao paraphernalia such as ceramic busts of the late chairman, CDs of revolutionary hits set to Hong Kong pop tunes and pink Mao watches that play a Muzak version of Happy Birthday. Mao, the revolutionary father of the People's Republic of China, is no more than a depolicitized icon.