My friend Ann took this photo of Mao’s sculptures at a flea market in Beijing. Interesting subject… and quite shocking to see that there was a time when even self-criticism (see the sculptures) was the subject of decorative ceramics.
Well, I don’t think that Chinese people care anymore about Mao. I have not heard one Chinese person mention his name. Not surprising…
I am sure they got an overdose of him for years. But Mao is in the flea markets today… for the pleasure of tourists.
The fact is that when I saw this photo, I immediately thought, “I must get some memorabilia of Mao before I leave“.
So Friday came, the day of the flea market in Xiamen, and I was there – with Ann as my guide – ready for some serious hunting!
Indeed we found some other examples of ceramics portraying Mao and his famous Red Book… and yes, I now own a 70s-style little alarm clock, with of course the portrait of Mao, and a worker with a moving hand holding… the Red Book.
I will bring home a piece of China history!.. Well, Chinese people may not care about Mao anymore, but they are happy that we, the tourists, do.
How could they have ever believed they could actually make money on all that old Mao stuff?! The love for Mao is not dead, indeed!