Shaoshan in Hunan：the loyalty and righteousness feelings of Mr.Mao Zedong,the founding leader in China

The news from World Guangong Culture Net: The Shaoshan village in Xiangtan City of Hunan Province is the native place of Mr.Mao Zedong,the founding leader in China. It is also the place where is attractive for hundreds of millions of foreign and domestic people.

Old home of Mr.Mao Zedong(founding leader) in Shaoshan of Hunan

Shaoshan village, at the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, is the boundary of ancient Jingzhou, where there are many stories about Guan Yu.There is a Shao river before Mr.Mao Zedong’s old home, there is a Guan Yu bridge on the Shao river and there is an ancient temple for Guan Yu where is in the midwood on piedmont and not far from the bridge head.

In the autumn of 1904,11-year-old Mao Zedong was sent to the private school near the Guan Yu bridge head by his father and asked to take Mr.Mao Yongsheng as his master for studying. Imagining in that year, juvenile Mao Zedong carried his schoolbag, skipped down to stride the Guan Yu bridge and look up at the nearby Guan Yu temple.

The precious photo on chairman Mao going back to Shaoshan in his old home

Juvenile Mao Zedong loved "Romance of the Three Kingdoms", often told his classmates the story of "Liu Guan Zhang swore brotherhood in Peach Garden", told the story of "Guan Yunchang fought his way through and killed the general", and was called the "King of Three Kingdoms Stories" by his classmates since he was a child. Once, the teacher lectured "Popular Collection of Traditional Chinese Wise Saying" on the stage, Mao Zedong covered the book on "Romance of the Three Kingdoms", and quietly read it fascinatedly,the teacher walked in front of him and he did not find it.

The Guan Yu bridge is on the Shao river in Shaoshan village,it is said that the old bridge was built by Mao Zedong’s father and local villagers

In the fall of 1910, 17-year-old Mao Zedong was admitted to the Dongshan school in county. On the day for leaving home, Mao Zedong got up early in the morning, wrapped a few carry-on clothes , put them on one end of the flat burden, carefully wrapped "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" and "Water Margin", put them in the box properly and tied them on the other end of the flat burden, departed from Shaoshan Chong.

When studying in the first pedagogical school in Changsha, youthful Mao Zedong had ever followed the example of “Peach Garden Oath”and made friends with schoolmate Cai Zisheng and Cai Hesen,they were called “Three Heroes”.In the heart of youthful Mao Zedong,Guan Yu’s image is lofty.

Guan Yu temple is located at the Guan Yu bridge head in Shaoshan village

The openings of “Romance of the Three Kingdoms” is written in Mao Zedong’s own hand.

After establishing People's Republic of China,Mao Zedong still did not put“Romance of the Three Kingdoms”down. He often took the story”Guan Yu failed in Maicheng”as an example to remind the leading cadres especially senior leading cadres that the unassertive and cautious attitude should be kept.

In 1954,Mao Zedong received Nehru who is the premier in India and visited China,he feared America and did not dare to establish diplomatic relations with China.He said to Mao Zedong that the American was fierce and they had the atomic bomb, Mao Zedong said smilingly that it is unnecessary to fear the atomic bomb and we had the broadsword of Guan Yu.

“How many dreams have been elapsed during cursing years after leaving, and I have been separated from my hometown for thirty-two years...” in the summer of 1959, Mao Zedong went back to hometown where he left here for long time,he paced near the Shao river back and forth,villagers asked chairman what did you find and chairman said that I found the Guan Yu temple. Mao Zedong said to accompanying persons that when I fell ill in my childhood,my mother took me to Guan Yu temple to kowtow and pray,let me eat the incense ashes and became well. At that time,the doctor and drug were lacking,if you would like to improve your condition, it mainly relied on the support from spirit.

Mao Zedong reads the book quietly

The works ”Guan Yu bridge” by famous painter, Fu Baoshi

In his late yeas,Mao Zedong’s eyesight is not good,the time on reading the book is reduced obviously,but a set of book”Romance of the Three Kingdoms”is pressed under his pillow.In 1976,during Mao Zedong’s last days, he still worried about Taiwan and said to the accompanying staff that the openings of“Romance of the Three Kingdoms”described the world trend that long-term separation led to consolidation and long-term consolidation led to separation.It is benefit for the Nationalist Party and the Communist Party is to cooperate and harmful for them is to separate.Throughout Mao Zedong’s leader career,his loyalty and righteousness feelings are affecting deeply.

The Zhu Zhengming’s works”China Guan Yu comes from five continents,converges on the roof of the world”is exhibited on the Guan Yu bridge head. From the right: Mr.Xu Bailin,the president of Guan Yu association in Changsha of Hunan Province;Mr.Zhu Zhengming,the former director of overseas center in United Front Work Department of Hubei Provincial Party Committee; Mr.Zhang Feng,the director of Guan Yu culture communication center in Guan Yu’s hometown of Shanxi Province; Mr.Peng Yunhao,the curator of house on Guan Yu’s loyalty learning in Shang Hai; Mrs.Yan Danni,the secretary general of Guan Yu association in Hunan Province; Mr.Cui Jinqiu, the project manager of 21 bureau of China Railway in Xin Jiang Autonomous Region; Mrs.Li Chunmin, the head of Guanlin management office in Luoyang of Henan Province

Let's go back to Shaoshan again. In the 1960s of the last century, the famous painter Fu Baoshi went to Shaoshan to sketch and investigate, and created the traditional Chinese painting “Shaoshan Guan Yu Bridge”. On March 31th,2021, during Huayi International Spring Auction, Fu Baoshi's painting “Shaoshan Guan Yu Bridge”was sold for more than 47 million yuan, becoming the highlight of the whole auction.

On July 5th 2021,the honored guests who attended Guan Yu culture seminar from six cities and provinces arrived at Shaoshan.During getting into scenic area not far,the people found the Guan Yu bridge where was on the Shao river pleasantly surprised.When the vehicle stopped,the people environed at the bridge head and gazed a brick and stone of Guan Yu bridge affectionately,recollected the scene that the founding leader walked through Guan Yu bridge.On the country path near bridge head, Mr Zhu Zhengming unfolded a picture of works”China Guan Yu comes from five continents,converges on the roof of the world”, the friends from six cities and provinces went around him and a picture of precious photo was taken.

The works”China Guan Yu comes from five continents,converges on the roof of the world”, was created by Zhu Zhengming after his travelling to more than 50 countries in seven continents and visiting the cultural aroma of Guan Yu during 39 years.In the picture, the statues of Guan Yu from the five continents and Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan happily converge on the Everest.The Everest is holy and pure, majestic and towering; Guan Yu ‘s mien is different and looked martially and auspiciously.

Zhu Zhengming said to Xu Bailin, the president of  Guan Yu association in Changsha, "The ancient temple of Guan Yu at the Guan Yu bridge head has been lost for a long time. The present Guan Yu temple is too small and too simple. It is suggested that Guan Yu association in Changsha contacts people from all walks of life and Shaoshan scenic area to rebuild the Guan Yu Temple at the Guan Yu bridge head, so as to comfort the founding leaders' deep feeling towards Guan Gong's loyalty and righteousness..."

(article/Zhu Zhengming figure/Junyi Xiangren)