Mao Zedong Memorial Park (Scenic Park)

Mao Zedong Memorial Park (Scenic Park)

Mao Zedong Memorial Park (Scenic Park) is a classic red tourism destination and a patriotic education base.

Mao Zedong Memorial Park (Scenic Park) is located in Shaoshan Village, Shaoshan Township, Shaoshan City, Xiangtan. It sits atop the rolling hills about 500 meters west of Mao Zedong’s former residence.

The memorial park was originally named “Mao Zedong’s Path – Scenic Park.” Inspired by the miniature landscape displays of “Window of the World” in many major Chinese cities, the entire scenic park was constructed in just one year. Construction began in early 1995, and by the end of the year, a park covering approximately 200,000 square meters with nearly 100 structures of various sizes was unveiled to the public, integrating commemoration, education, and sightseeing.

The most distinctive feature of Shaoshan Mao Zedong Memorial Park is its incorporation of commemorative meaning through the replication of real objects, allowing visitors to experience the course of history while touring the park. The park has two main entrances: the South Gate and the East Gate. The South Gate naturally extends from the pathway in front of Mao Zedong’s former residence, passing through Guan Gong Bridge, crossing the Sha River, and circling around Shaoshan Mouth. Between the bridge and the mouth, an antique-style memorial archway has been built to guide visitors northward, which fittingly reflects the historical northward journey of Mao Zedong.

Entering the park through the South Gate, visitors pass through a grand and imposing gateway, where a stretch of ancient Great Wall fortifications emerges, symbolizing the national spirit of the great leader Mao Zedong. Along the main avenue and ascending the steps, one sees a magnificent structure standing atop the high cliffs ahead—this is the most impressive part of the park: the Shaoshan Mao Zedong Memorial Hall. The memorial hall is the central structure of the park, echoing the former residence from afar. It covers an area of 5,000 square meters with a construction area of 1,300 square meters. The building adopts a traditional temple style, featuring white walls and green-glazed tiles, combining the grandeur of a stately hall with the characteristics of local Shaoshan residences. The memorial hall complex consists of the front courtyard at the entrance, the main building, and the garden on the back hill. The front courtyard serves as a space for paying respects, gathering, and resting. The main building is an inner-courtyard structure composed of front and rear halls, side halls, and surrounding corridors. Inside, exhibitions introduce Mao Zedong’s life at different periods. The rear hall houses white marble sculptures of Mao Zedong and six of his close family members. Walking through a small side door on the right, visitors can appreciate representative sites from various periods of Mao’s life in chronological order. First is the well pavilion of Hunan First Normal School, nestled among flowers and trees, followed by the site of the First National Congress of the Communist Party of China at South Lake, where a replica boat is docked by the shore. Then come the former site of Qingshuitang, No. 41 Dufu Di in Wuchang, the Bayi Building in Maoping, Jinggangshan, the Huangyangjie Monument, the Tian Shui Well in Ruijin, and the second-largest structure in the park—the site of the Zunyi Conference. The Ruijin well and the Zunyi Conference site are situated in a valley, symbolizing how the revolutionary cause led by Mao Zedong rose from a low ebb to a high tide. The highest point in the park features a cave dwelling and pagoda from Yan’an. In addition to replicating the monuments most closely associated with Mao Zedong’s life, the park also includes some amusement facilities, embodying the idea that “the predecessors’ hardships bring enjoyment for the descendants.” Some mythological and legendary figures in the park also reflect Mao Zedong’s blend of realism and romanticism.

Shaoshan Mao Zedong Memorial Park (Scenic Park) was designated as a Xiangtan Municipal Patriotic Education Base by the Xiangtan Municipal Committee Propaganda Department in 1995.

Suggested Duration

3 hours

Admission Fee

60.00 CNY

Opening Hours

8:00-17:30

Location

Shaoshan Scenic Area, Xiangtan City, Hunan Province, 500 meters west of Mao Zedong’s Former Residence

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. His contributions to the development of Marxism-Leninism, military theory, and... More details about Mao Zedong++

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Shaoshan Mao Clan Ancestral Hall

Mao Zedong Memorial Museum in Shaoshan

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Tomb of Mao Zedong’s Parents