I was completely fascinated by all the of the communist paraphernalia in China. Honestly, I have no idea why I was surprised at the volume, but it was fascinating. Here is a taste..
This little guy was in front of a fabulous shop - where I probably spent a few too many RMB.
In a somewhat bizzare turn of events, we found ourselves on a tour of the hutongs. It was definitely a good turn of events. I have no idea if our "guide" actually knew anything or not - but it was entertaining. He claims that Mao lived behind this door for a year.
This is one of four statues that surround Mao's Mausoleum. Oh - and we did file through to see him lying in state. You had to check your bags and cameras, go through several screenings, remain silent while viewing - and no stopping - it was just filing through. Bizarre and completely worth doing.
It did seem like security was high, we suspected it at the time, but confirmed later that we were there on the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre. It also helped to explain the giant screens that seemed to have been brought in to show soft images and calming music. I believe it was best referred to as "soothing the masses."
Here we are - and here he is.
Had to have a picture to prove I was actually there.
Trust me, a seriously large photo.
And, I'll leave you with my favorite purchase. There was definitely a lot of kitsch, but this one took the cake for me.
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