The Chairman

With all due respect to Mr. Sinatra, I’m talking about Chairman Mao.

He was born, raised, began his Revolution, and returned as an adult to build his summer retreat not in New Jersey, but in the local village of Shaoshan (Shao as in “ow”; Shan as in “yawn”) which is about an hour west of Xiangtan some 50 Km away.

From his rudimentary beginnings including the pond where he learned to swim and the mountains that he explored with his parents and his two younger brothers to the common room where he met with local villagers to present his ideas of the communist state culminating in his Summer Retreat Home (his version of Camp David?) this village is All Mao, All The Time.
I have met people in the last 2 years who

• Love him/Hate the Party,
• Hate him/Love the Party,
• Love him/Love the Party,
• (or very, very quietly dislike both)

But regardless of your position, this town certainly loves him. Of course there is the obvious affection resultant from the benefits of the tourism dollars, but I witnessed people praying, crying, leaving flowers, and struggling past others just to touch his personal objects or his original photographs and I came away with a sense of non coerced, genuine affection for the hometown man.

I had scheduled a driver from the hotel to get there and then wait for me to tour the complex and eventually return me to the hotel. The driver has certainly does this before and he had my day all planned out. First, we drove the back roads to get there so I could see more of the rural areas, he delivered me to the Summer Retreat entrance making it very clear where he would be when I was finished. He had picked a place for lunch at a roadside café where we both ate (I paid for both, of course), and then he walked with me a short distance to Mao’s childhood family home (which I hadn’t realized was so close by). A different route was used back to the hotel and all for only a small flat rate fee. Of course, I did chuckle when I think I saw some money changing hands as he received a small kickback from the restaurant owner for “choosing” that location and I definitely saw him slipping the kickback with the Hotel Concierge (who scheduled him on my behalf) upon our return, but hey – I didn’t care. It didn’t cost me much (the whole 8 hour day with lunch was around $55) and if he and his buddies have a little system on the side, I figure I’m just helping the economy.

The Summer Retreat was built after he became Chairman and consists of several thousands of acres of mountainous region where you can tour the house, walk the trails, and view the swimming pond. This was his Camp David and he entertained and strategized with many a Party Leader here, yet the house is really quite simple and plain. You can view his bedroom, bathroom, meeting rooms, and walk through the bomb shelter and the earthquake shelter. Mao considered himself a poet of sorts, and many of his poems are etched onto walls and rocks (Chinese, of course, so I couldn’t read them). Outside, there are several meandering trails (i.e.: Steps from Hell) up through the mountains to visit the various scenic overlooks and to visit the tombs of his Grandmother and Grandfather. I am amazed at the beauty of the place. Similar to some other areas I have visited, this is not unlike the North Carolina Mountains – but with Ginkgo trees – big "smokey" mountains with skies full of clouds, small streams, ponds, flowers, birds, etc. I did manage to complete one trail up to his Grandfather’s tomb, but only got halfway to his Grandmother’s due those infamous steps. But it didn’t matter. It was a beautiful day, fabulous weather, and I was outside simply enjoying nature without the politics.

The Childhood home is also quite simple with a thatched grass roof. Based on the size of the house and the fact that the barn was actually enclosed and part of the house, I’m not sure his family would have been considered “dirt poor” as our educational propaganda would have us believe (certainly not the one room log house of Abe Lincoln), but it was simple nonetheless. We weren’t allowed any inside photography, but you can see the house from the outside. I did have to chuckle that Mao’s room held the place of honor next to his parent’s room and his 1st younger brother’s room was next to his, but the youngest brother’s room was next to the pig pen way on the other side of the building (maybe he wasn’t so popular with the rest of the house?). The middle brother was killed in battle during the Revolution.

It was a full 8 hour day and I was sore from the steps, but I can now claim to have seen The Chairman’s House!

For those who can get here (meaning Jane G!), this is a must see.

Though, admittedly, I never did find out if this Chairman could sing.