Mao Zedong, Still An Icon to Young People?

World renowned Peking University is a special place to commemorate the 110th anniversary of Mao Zedong's birth. While working as a library assistant at the university he first encountered Marxism and became attracted to the ideas of Communism. He also found himself on the school's campus during the months leading up to the May Fourth Movement of 1919, which is to a great extent the fountainhead of all changes that were to take place in China in the ensuing half century.

So today, let's follow Wang Jing into China's leading intellectual center to see if young students are still enthusiastic about Mao Zedong.

While at Peking University, I met Zhu Nianfeng, a postgraduate studying Marxism. He is also the head of a famous theoretical organization at the university. When speaking of Mao Zedong, he is quite excited.

"I was born in a remote village, and came all the way to Beijing for my studies. I always think of Mao Zedong's early experiences as he also came from a peasant's family and was determined to realize his dreams."
Born in the 1970s, Zhu Nianfeng shared a similar experience with his peers: nearly all information about Mao Zedong came from his parents.

"My father is an old Communist Party member and took part in the revolutionary work before the liberation. He is a loyal follower of Mao Zedong, and like all others in his age group, he can recite Mao's ‘Little Red Book' from memory, although he never learned how to read or write."

During the 1960's and 70's Mao was feverishly revered in China and had his thoughts and theories printed into handy, small red books for the whole country to study.
With a circulation of approximately 5 billion copies in different languages, the "Little Red Book," called the "Quotations from Chairman Mao Zedong", was one of the world's bestsellers at the time.

Unlike his father who worshipped Mao as a god-like figure, Zhu Nianfeng seeks a correct and comprehensive understanding of the late leader's thoughts and personality. He has read all four volumes of the Selected Works of Mao Zedong, the eight volumes of Mao Zedong Works, and nearly all the books or memoirs coming off the press about the leader. As he says, the more he reads, the more he admires Mao Zedong.

"I'm enchanted by his military talent, his artistic poems, his political skill as well as his leadership qualities. I'm quite impressed by a manuscript he wrote to his relatives in his home town after the founding of New China. He requested that his family receive the same treatment as other villagers by paying tax and taking no special privileges. I think it sets a good example to leaders nowadays."

Feng Yaxin teaches "Introduction to Mao Zedong Thought" at Peking University, which is attended by freshmen and sophomores. She says she is happy to find that young students are now approaching the great leader with their own understanding. In the thesis they handed in, she chose some paragraphs to read for me.

"Mao Zedong used to be a god in my mind, then, his glamorous image suddenly fell to the earth as I came to know about the Cultural Revolution. But now, I would say: Mao is a great person—a great person who had made mistakes. We can't write off his achievements because of the mistakes. "

"Mao was at the forefront of change. Usually people choose to follow the changes of the times, and wait for others to stand out. When confronted with difficulties, I always hoped someone could stand out. Now I will not retreat, and will work hard to realize my goals."

However, not all young people feel the same. Feng Yaxin says some of her students are quite indifferent towards the study of Mao Zedong.

"There are some students who seem indifferent when discussing Chairman Mao, as they believe it is unnecessary to study Mao Zedong and his thoughts, saying the era of Mao Zedong has passed."

Professor Liang Zhu, a renowned researcher on the history of Communist Party at Peking University, doesn't hold this point of view.

"Today's college students can hardly understand the hardships and difficulties experienced by past generations. They are, instead, growing up in a well-off society, without many concerns. But it doesn't mean that they have nothing to learn from the late leader. Actually, Mao Zedong's works convey high ideals and aspirations. His rally for young people to be noble-minded and pure and place moral integrity above vulgar interests is still of great value to the youth of today."

Next