Life in Mao's shadow has never been brighter
11/3/2008 11:35
He likes watching TV with his family, especially programs about the
history of the Communist Party of China, once led by his grandfather.
And
when he goes to karaoke bars with friends, the corpulent dark-skinned chap only
sings tribute songs to late Chairman Mao Zedong.
"Unlike other people, I
feel I have a special historical responsibility and mission," said 38-year-old
Mao Xinyu, who is better known as Mao's grandson. He is a member of the 11th
National Committee of Chinese People's Political Consultative
Conference.
Although more than 30 years have passed since his death,
Chairman Mao, whose name and works frequently appear in Chinese textbooks, is
still an icon to many, young and old.
Xinyu's father, Mao Anqing, the
second son of Chairman Mao, died on March 23 last year. His mother, Shao Hua,
was a photojournalist.
Having grown up as a "descendant of the giant,"
Xinyu said he was "a seasoned soldier in the battlefield."
"There are
pressures and everyone has high expectations for you," he said.
While
studying at Renmin University of China, he had visitors almost daily asking
about his family. In public, he was often recognized by strangers who would ask
for his autograph or request that he pose in a group photo. Insisting on wearing
his army uniform in front of the media, the normally quiet Xinyu becomes
talkative and emotional at the mention of his grandfather.
His most
unforgettable memory was from 1996, when Xinyu and his mother took part in a
commemoration in Huining in the northwestern Gansu Province, a revolutionary
base where three fronts of the Red Army joined forces after the Long
March.
"Tens of thousands of people from that impoverished county came
out voluntarily, flanking the roads with some holding the portrait of my grandpa
and shouting 'Long live Chairman Mao,'" Xinyu recalled, his voice raised in
excitement. As his jeep passed, several local people ran with it. "I was really
touched by their deep feelings toward the late Chairman," he
said.
Xinhua
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