Morning Sun | Reddest Red Sun

Mao Zedong, the sun risen in the east, became symbolic of the revolution itself. His life was made into the biography of 20th-century China. The Mao cult made him a modern-day idol, the sun that never set, even long after the demise of his corporeal form.

The Miracles of Chairman Mao: Mao Zedong Thought Cures Deaf-Mutes

Mao Buttons

Quotations from Chairman Mao — see The Little Red Book

"The Whole Family is Red" — in the mid-1960s, the "Red Family" came to fame. Popular peasant entertainers with six children, their repertoire consisted of some one hundred revolutionary songs and over fifty song-and-dance numbers. They sang the praises of Chairman Mao and were celebrated in the Chinese media.

When complete, this section will include selections from Mao's writings, speeches, and poems. It will also contain an overview of his life, death, and cult (from Yan'an to the Cultural Revolution to the posthumous cult). Other images will include photographs, posters, paintings, papercuts, and woodcuts, along with artifacts such as teacups, red books, money, and swim trunks.

Shades of Mao: The Posthumous Cult of the Great Leader (readings)