Mao Zedong: the God of China

Mao, architect of the Cultural Revolution that killed millions and took China to the brink of collapse, is still revered by many across China as a god-like figure.

At a family-run restaurant in the southern village, relatives played mahjong next to a life-sized bronze statue of Mao beneath a poster depicting the "great leader" speaking to the patriarch during a visit in the late 1950s.

Asked why the family offer incense to the figure, one woman said: "It is a show of respect -- after he died, he became a god and so are his parents."

Even today, villagers in Hunan province enthusiastically recount three "miracles" that supposedly happened in 1993 on the 100th anniversary of Mao's birth...

Mao is revered across the officially atheist China in much the same way the Virgin Mary is viewed by many Christians as a guardian and protector.

Drivers dangle his picture in their cars, people make incense offerings to his statues in their homes and travelers carry Mao lucky charms to ensure a safe journey.

"These 24-carat gold-plated wallet-sized 'protection cards' have absorbed the spirit of Mao and can grant you safety wherever you go," said a sales assistant at the Mao Zedong museum shop in the village.

"Only 38 yuan (4.75 dollars)."..

paradoxically, to those who were educated under communist China's atheist philosophy, Mao offers spiritual comfort.

"My mother doesn't believe in God or the Buddha, she puts all her trust in Chairman Mao all her life," said 27-year-old IT engineer Xiao Biqiang, who bowed at Mao's bronze figure on behalf of his sick mother.

"It is a solace to her."