MCLC: Official tributes to Mao subdued

[MCLC LIST]

MCLC LIST
Official tributes to Mao subdued
Source: China Real Time (9/9/16)
Official Tributes to Mao Subdued on 40th Anniversary of His Death
Government policy dictates that past leaders' birthdays, rather than the anniversary of their passing, are celebrated
Four decades after Mao Zedong died, the dictator’s life is being marked with solemn pilgrimages, online braised-pork tributes — and little official fanfare.
Chinese government policy dictates that past leaders’ birthdays, rather than the anniversary of their passing, get celebrated, and official notice of the date has so far been muted.
In Mao’s hometown of Shaoshan, thousands of pilgrims are arriving to pay tribute and lay flowers for him in a public square, said Li Wentao, who works for a local history and e-commerce website devoted to Mao. For those unable to go in person, she said the site is also encouraging people to send virtual chrysanthemums, cigarettes and dishes of red-braised pork (one of Mao’s favorites) via a special platform they’ve built online.
Historians estimate more than 30 million Chinese perished because of Mao’s policies during his years in power, which were marked by both man-made famine and mass political persecution. In more recent years, the founder of the People’s Republic of China has become a rallying point for leftists within the party discomfited by the country’s economic reforms. He also remains beloved by many, with his face emblazoned everywhere from car dashboard decorations to calendars and other paraphernalia—as well as on the Chinese currency, the yuan.
Ms. Li said such adulation is a good thing. “China is a country that lacks faith, not like Western countries,” she said. “To have faith in Mao Zedong is something that helps people.”
Not all have similarly reverent views. This week, a campaign that allowed people to send electronic flowers in tribute to Mao circulated widely on the Chinese messaging app WeChat, urging users to “Use 0.5kb of data to remember ‘Chairman Mao!’”
After scrolling through, viewers were confronted with a variety of ads, including one that appeared to advertise treatment for erectile dysfunction.
It was unclear who produced the campaign. Later versions of the tribute appeared scrubbed of any ad content.
As of Friday morning, more than 1.8 million people had sent virtual flowers.
On Friday, China’s censors tamped down online discussion of the anniversary. The Communist Party’s People’s Daily newspaper circulated a series of Mao photos and some of his quotes via its verified account on the Weibo microblogging platform with the exhortation, “Review it and recall it fondly!” Those attempting to comment on the message received a notice, “Comment is forbidden on this Weibo.”
The tight leash on Mao-related commentary didn’t go unnoticed. “Today marks the day we observe 40 years since Chairman Mao passed. I searched online for most of the day and couldn’t find much commemoration activities,” wrote one Weibo user.
Another user contrasted it against the 2014 anniversary of the death of former Communist Party leader Hu Yaobang, a political and economic liberal. “[At the time], all kinds of media and officialdom were paying unbridled tribute. But this year on the 40th anniversary of Mao’s death, it’s this quiet. Especially today, you don’t even see a few comments here or there.”
Beijing keeps a careful watch on neo-Maoists, fearful that their critiques might blossom into a more muscular political movement. Ironically, a volunteer with the Hong Kong Society of Mao Zedong Thought said he had the impression it was easier to be a neo-Maoist in the capitalist hub of Hong Kong than in the mainland, which he left in 1995. ”There are lots of celebrations that will happen there,” said Mr. Li, whose society is convening a symposium on Mao’s legacy. “But people won’t hear about them, they are censored.”
Ever since Mao died, subsequent Chinese leaders have “betrayed the Chinese people,” he said. “Now Chinese farmers lose their land, workers are laid off, and the rich steal the wealth of the nation.” Still, he said trends have improved under current leader Xi Jinping, whom he credited with taking measures to strengthen the party, including through a vast antigraft campaign.
In Australia, multiple concerts planned to commemorate the anniversary of Mao’s death were later canceled following widespread condemnation.
News that a Cantonese opera about Mao’s life will be staged next month in a Hong Kong theater has also sparked a backlash. For his part, Hong Kong playwright and feng shui practitioner Li Kui-ming, who penned “Mao,” says that the controversy is overblown, and that the production received no government support.  “We’re not interested in doing something political, we are doing art,” he said.
Reached by phone, Fan Jinggang of the popular mainland Maoist site Utopia said the site planned no special commemorations, in accordance with official practice of focusing tribute on past leaders’ birthdays. “But of course, Mao Zedong’s spirit is eternal,” he said.
—Te-Ping Chen with contributions from Olivia Geng. Follow her on Twitter @tepingchen.
by denton.2 at osu.edu on September 15, 2016
You are subscribed to email updates from MCLC Resource Center  
To stop receiving these emails, click here.

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.osu.edu/pipermail/mclc/attachments/20160915/c50097b5/attachment.html>