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Mao Tourism in China:Ideology to touch / Breaking News

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Even Mao’s pajamas is now a museum piece: former state form is worshiped as a god, almost 700 million visitors flock each year to its memorials in China. Some lay down only a wreath – if you want more action, however, may re-enact a street fight.

Yu Wenxiang is 1300 km traveled to pay homage to Mao Zedong honor. Xu deep bows to the six-meter-high bronze statue of China’s revolutionary leader. “For the Chairman no distance is too far,” he says. Two men in military uniforms wearing goose-stepping a wreath of flowers in front of Xu to the statue. From the loudspeakers on the edge of the square in Shaoshan Mao’s birthplace in the southern Chinese province of Hunan, Mao-song of praise resounds “The East is Red”. Passers-by chanting the slogan: “Chairman Mao live 10,000 years!”

Xu has opted for the premium version of the ceremony in front of the statue of Chairman Mao. 999 yuan (120 euros) the ring cost him with a bow and his name. For the festive act with the disguised as soldiers actors he had to pay another 1,000 yuan. After five minutes everything is over. “It was worth the money,” says Xu addition to the wide staircase that leads from a red carpet to the Mao statue on a concrete base. Tourists as it can cost quite a respect for Mao.

Mao has long since become 37 years after his death in China to a money machine. Every year millions of tourists flock to the haunts of the controversial revolutionary. In a museum near Mao’s birthplace in Shaoshan some very private things are like relics on display: from Mao’s pajamas over his socks up to his swimming trunks. Tens of thousands of people visit the museum claims to be on peak days.

Mao Tourism in China:No word on the victim

Mao-Kult / China

The propagated by China’s leadership ” red tourism” is just a new packaging for the ideological education of the population for Daniel Leese from the Albert -Ludwigs- University of Freiburg. ” The content must be adapted to the time,” says the assistant professor . In a research project he studied Maoism in China.

On public holidays, tourists have to queue for more than three hours to take a brief look at Mao’s children at the other end of town. The revolutionary is celebrated as a leader with its citizens. No mention is made of the millions of people who fell victim to his unscrupulous policy , for example through the campaign ” Great Leap Forward ” .

The number of visitors to the places of pilgrimage of the Communist Party of China has grown in 2012, according to official figures by 24 percent to 670 million . Spent a total “red tourists ” therefore 167 billion yuan ( 20 billion euros) . The central government makes money for the tourist spots loose . At the same time they should stimulate the economy in the less developed regions of the country .

Mao Tourism in China:Education in Patriotism

Mao-Kult / China
Mao-Kult / China

The Communist Party in China is driving the “Red Tourism” with power forward. The state’s “National Coordination Group” sets the guidelines for the cult of the party. Since 2004, the central government directs the expansion throughout the country specifically. “The education in patriotism, collectivism and socialism needs to be further deepened,” was the head of the Coordination Group, Zhu Zhixin, demanded at the Annual Meeting 2013.

With the tourist spectacles to “create an emotional connection,” says Daniel Leese. China thus creates an ideology to touch and witnessing. “Disneyization” called the researcher Yoko Takayama from the Slavic Research Center in Japan to develop in an analysis, based on the Disney theme parks.

She thinks places like the former base Yan’an Revolution 900 kilometers southwest of Beijing, in which Mao had entrenched after 1935. There, tourists can re-enact a battle for the city with tanks and guns. In Zhuanbi in north China’s Shanxi Province is an entire amusement park for the “red tourists” have been built, in which they can participate in an obstacle course in a house fighting.

After that, most tourists go shopping: Mao decals, key chains, jackets or iPhone Cases find excellent sales.

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