Birthplace of Mao Zedong, Shaoshan was once an important destination for Communist Party pilgrims, with three million annual visitors during peak years. Today it remains an important heritage spot for domestic tourists.
The most striking attraction in Shaoshan is a monumental statue of the Chairman himself, erected in the 1990s. This was well after national enthusiasm about Mao had waned, and its late commission seemed to herald a new dawn of affluent, vacationing Chinese rather than staunch devotion to the old days of the Cultural Revolution.
In many ways, the city is an ongoing homage to the iconic leader. Locals have done a fine job capitalizing on the reputation of their favorite former resident, and today’s visitors will find everything from his former residence to a Mao-family restaurant that has since sprouted wings and set up franchises across the nation.
Getting There & Away
Shaoshan is about 75 miles from Changsha, the region’s most important transportation hub. Multiple buses make the two-hour transition between these towns on a daily basis. A once-a-day train travels the same route in 3 hours, 30 minutes. Changsha has an airport that offers limited international connections as well as a host of domestic flights.
Things to Do
Shaoshan Attractions
- Mao’s family home
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This compound of nondescript, unassuming buildings is revered by locals and visiting chinese alike.
- Mao Zedong Exhibition Hall
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A comprehensive archive of the man’s life and revolutionary agenda.
- Mao Ancestral Temple
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This former place of worship has been updated to a communist-friendly ‘memorial’ exploring mao’s early projects among the peasants of shaoshan.