Fifty Years On: China Still Lives in Mao Zedong's Shadow

Fifty years after Mao Zedong died on September 9, 1976, China continues to navigate the contradictions of his enormous legacy. His portrait dominates Tiananmen Square in Beijing, and his embalmed body lies in a mausoleum visited by millions. Yet the catastrophes of his rule — the Great Leap Forward that killed tens of millions and the Cultural Revolution that tore Chinese society apart — remain largely taboo subjects in public discourse.

Under President Xi Jinping, who has drawn explicit comparisons to Mao, selective reverence for the founding father has intensified. Xi has cultivated a personality cult reminiscent of Mao's era, while using Mao's legacy to legitimize one-party rule and suppress political dissent. Analysts note that China cannot fully reckon with Mao's record without undermining the Communist Party's claim to historical infallibility — leaving the country trapped between honoring the revolutionary past and confronting its darkest chapters.