Mao Zedong Ancestral Hometown Exhibition Hall

Mao Zedong Ancestral Hometown Exhibition Hall

The Mao Zedong Ancestral Hometown Exhibition Hall is a classic red tourism attraction.

The Mao Zedong Ancestral Hometown Exhibition Hall is located in the northwest corner of the Cultural Park north of Jishui County. It features three exhibition halls: a central memorial hall, one showcasing the history and culture of Longcheng in Jishui, and another displaying "The Glorious Life of Mao Zedong." The exhibits include five sections: the Introductory Hall, Nine Branches of Longcheng, Ancestral Hometown of Longcheng, Pride of the Mao Family, and Root-Seeking.

According to Mao Lingzhi, Deputy Director of Jishui County TV Station and Executive Vice President of the Longcheng Historical and Cultural Research Association of Mao Zedong’s Ancestral Hometown, Mao Taohua, the founding ancestor of the Mao family from Shaoshanchong, was born in Longcheng, Badu Town, Jishui County, Jiangxi Province. After experiencing war and turmoil, he migrated to Xiangtan, Hunan. Jiangxi's Jishui is recognized as Mao Zedong’s ancestral hometown, where a Mao family genealogy was discovered, detailing the migration journey of the Mao Taohua family. On the ruins of Longcheng southeast of Badu Town, ancient bricks engraved with the regular script “Mao Clan Ancestral Foundation” were unearthed. Later, the Mao family from Xiangtan specifically came to Badu to acknowledge their ancestry.

During the late Yuan and early Ming dynasties, amid the Red Turban Rebellion, Jishui suffered from various armed conflicts. To escape the chaos, the young Mao Taohua left Longcheng and traveled west to Lancangwei in Yunnan to make a living. Later, when the Ming army pacified Yunnan, they recruited local soldiers to expand their forces, and Mao Taohua enlisted. He engaged in military farming and border defense, married, and had children. About 30 years later, when the imperial court sought to relocate people from neighboring counties to repopulate Hunan, Mao Taohua left his adopted home and was “reassigned to Hubei Province for his military merit,” becoming the founding ancestor of the Shaoshan Mao family. His 20th-generation descendant was the great leader Mao Zedong.

Mao Zedong (December 26, 1893 – September 9, 1976), courtesy name Runzhi (originally Yongzhi, later changed to Runzhi), pen name Ziren. A native of Xiangtan, Hunan. He was the leader of the Chinese people, a Marxist, a great proletarian revolutionary, strategist, and theorist, as well as a principal founder and leader of the Communist Party of China, the Chinese People's Liberation Army, and the People's Republic of China. He was also a poet and calligrapher. From 1949 to 1976, Mao Zedong served as the paramount leader of the People's Republic of China. He contributed to the development of Marxism-Leninism, military theory, and... More details about Mao Zedong++