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Mao Zedong's Mausoleum (built 1977)

Mao Zedong died in 1976 after leading the China through twenty-seven years as a nation and over fifty years as a revolutionary leader. Though at the end of his life many resented him for the disruptive cultural revolution from 1966-1976, he was still revered as the man who brought socialism to China and empowered the peasants. To honor this man known as the "Great Helmsman" a memorial was rapidly erected in the center of Tiananmen square soon after his death. Inside is the preserved remains of Mao himself, permanently on display in an open coffin behind a glass chamber.

The tour through the building is simply a procession. Long lines of Chinese and foreign visitors queue in Tiananmen square to get inside. Visitors are required to leave their bags, purses, cameras, and cell phones in lockers nearby. Picture taking is expressly forbidden inside the mausoleum, and anyone discovered with a camera will be promptly escorted out of the line. Just before stepping inside faux flowers are available if you want to leave a tribute at a statue of Mao in the first room of the building. Many Chinese do this, and foreigners as well.

The mausoleum is pleasant to visit in the summer, because the needs of Mao's corpse require extremely cold air conditioning that contrasts with the sultry weather outdoors. As the line snakes around the statue of Mao, guards hurry the line along into the next room where the corpse is on display. Here, you can see Mao's body draped to the chest in a hammer-and-sickle flag, lying serenely in a coffin. The body was renovated in 1997, but after twenty-one years of stasis his face seems a bit waxy. Mao was obese at the end of his life, and no attempt was made to disguise this. Dedicated Mao-watchers should note that you can only see one side of the corpse on each visit. If you choose to go into the left line on your first visit, you will only see the left side of the corpse. Two visits allow you to see the side missed the first time.

After viewing the body, you're led outside and allowed to mingle as long as you wish at souvenir stands selling every conceivable form of kitsch Mao memorabilia, from Mao cigarettes, to key chains, to clocks, to pens.

Note that the mausoleum is open usually for four hours a day centered on noon to avoid undue damage to the corpse. At night and during off hours, the casket retracts into an underground refrigeration chamber beneath Tiananmen square.