Mao Now a Sinister Tourist Trinket
The owner of a small family-run factory that produces pins by the millions, [Chen Jiashu] has been in a better position than most to watch as China has quietly abandoned the heroes of communism in favor of the icons of commercialism.
"We used to get a lot of orders for Mao Zedong pins, but today there is very little demand for Mao products," Chen told AFP at his small plant in a suburb near Wenzhou, a city in the east of China famed for its entrepreneurial spirit.
His single order for 10,000 pins of China's most famous communist revolutionary early in the year was a mere fraction of the 200 million he assembles annually.
"Now I do pins for the companies who are having promotional events for something like Harry Potter, Star Wars or Coca-Cola," said 50-year-old Chen, a straight-talking man, who served in the Chinese army in the 1970s.
Thirty years after his death Mao may still be regarded by some as the country's greatest modern leader but his once iron grip over Chinese society has been reduced to a superstitious if somewhat sinister tourist trinket.
"Buyers are gift companies, travelers or shops in Mao's hometown of Shaoshan. Most people buy Mao badges to collect, as a lucky pendant to hang on the wall or in a car because some believe Mao will bring them luck and peace."
"I believe in that too," Chen said with an embarrassed smile, recalling how 30 years ago the fervor of the times had demanded that all Chinese show their loyalty to the nation by owning some piece of Mao memorabilia.
"Nobody will buy Mao pins to wear now."
In China today, Mao's vision of an egalitarian, Communist utopia has become an anachronism in a country that increasingly defines itself by the competition of market capitalist values...
Mao would surely turn in his grave, especially if he heard that Chen's 300 workers now concentrate on making badges for many of the world's armed forces, including the United States, Mongolia and the Japanese police.
"We used to get a lot of orders for Mao Zedong pins, but today there is very little demand for Mao products," Chen told AFP at his small plant in a suburb near Wenzhou, a city in the east of China famed for its entrepreneurial spirit.
His single order for 10,000 pins of China's most famous communist revolutionary early in the year was a mere fraction of the 200 million he assembles annually.
"Now I do pins for the companies who are having promotional events for something like Harry Potter, Star Wars or Coca-Cola," said 50-year-old Chen, a straight-talking man, who served in the Chinese army in the 1970s.
Thirty years after his death Mao may still be regarded by some as the country's greatest modern leader but his once iron grip over Chinese society has been reduced to a superstitious if somewhat sinister tourist trinket.
"Buyers are gift companies, travelers or shops in Mao's hometown of Shaoshan. Most people buy Mao badges to collect, as a lucky pendant to hang on the wall or in a car because some believe Mao will bring them luck and peace."
"I believe in that too," Chen said with an embarrassed smile, recalling how 30 years ago the fervor of the times had demanded that all Chinese show their loyalty to the nation by owning some piece of Mao memorabilia.
"Nobody will buy Mao pins to wear now."
In China today, Mao's vision of an egalitarian, Communist utopia has become an anachronism in a country that increasingly defines itself by the competition of market capitalist values...
Mao would surely turn in his grave, especially if he heard that Chen's 300 workers now concentrate on making badges for many of the world's armed forces, including the United States, Mongolia and the Japanese police.
posted by pkd at 2:01 PM
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