The queue coils around the mausoleum. People shuffle around the mausoleum like they do in Mecca. Touch the railings like Muslims touch the Kaaba. The sun sends down its scorching heat upon them. Yet they persevere in their quest to see the great chairman. As he moves steadily forwards along the queue, he focuses his thoughts and meditates in silence like so many others: on the greatness of Chairman Mao who championed the rights of the common people. On the atrocity of Chairman Mao who killed 1.5 million people during the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution.
People buy Chrysanthemums, the national flower, to place them at the feet of Mao's statue. Up the grand terrace stairs and great doors, the conflict rages on. The large reception hall gives way to a small dimly lit room with the glass coffin containing Mao's embalmed body, wearing his usual favourite outfit and covered with the national flag.
In this light, Mao looks anything but alive with his puffy blown-up face and more than real skin colour. I knows he's dead. But he doesn't even look like he's ever been alive. Maybe it's the wax statue of Mao instead. Or maybe all preserved bodies look like that.
He's not given time to study it. The line moves forward as fast as it did coming in. To facilitate the millions who've come to pay their respects of to prevent any terrorists crazy enough to bomb the place up. He's very lucky though to be able to see the place considering that the mausoleum opens for only one day before renovation work continues.
People buy Chrysanthemums, the national flower, to place them at the feet of Mao's statue. Up the grand terrace stairs and great doors, the conflict rages on. The large reception hall gives way to a small dimly lit room with the glass coffin containing Mao's embalmed body, wearing his usual favourite outfit and covered with the national flag.
In this light, Mao looks anything but alive with his puffy blown-up face and more than real skin colour. I knows he's dead. But he doesn't even look like he's ever been alive. Maybe it's the wax statue of Mao instead. Or maybe all preserved bodies look like that.
He's not given time to study it. The line moves forward as fast as it did coming in. To facilitate the millions who've come to pay their respects of to prevent any terrorists crazy enough to bomb the place up. He's very lucky though to be able to see the place considering that the mausoleum opens for only one day before renovation work continues.
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