Shaoshan

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Hi All,

I know I've been before but this time I stayed in Xiangtan and didn't just go for the day. Xiangtan as a city is nothing remarkable but it is a great place to set up base camp to visit the former homes of the Communist party's founding fathers.

So first on the list, the big one Mao ZeDong. It's remarkable how this man geld, and to some extent still does, such a power over the Chinese people. The young and old come to lay wreaths and say prayers in front of the statue in Mao Zedong square. The museum is full of Mao's possessions. Amazing that he had a huge library of books, smoked continuously, drank and ate only the best, the way his trousers waistline grew over the years being testament to swaths, travelled up and down the country in his own private train and had the choice of any young woman he desired, yet he wouldn't buy a new pair of socks or a towel.. Very Odd. It is also very selective in it's take on history with virtually nothing being said about The Great Leap or The Cultural Revolution.

Enjoy the photos

Jah Bless

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