1、1Maos Hometown to Embrace More “Red” TouristsThe 116th anniversary commemoration ofMao Zedongs birth, held on November 15, 2009 at Beijings Great Hall of the People, had an unusual twist. This years ceremony included a seminar on how to promote Maos philosophy and the “red culture” that his charisma
2、 has inspired, reflected in the construction of a 12-hectare theme park. “The East Is Red,” or Dongfanghong as the park is named, borrows from the famousfolk song that best expresses peoples love and nostalgia for Mao Zedong and his era. Over 200 former high-ranking military and civilian officials f
3、rom the era and scholars on Mao Zedong Thought were present at the seminar, as was Gu Xiulian, vice chairwoman of the Standing Committee of the National Peoples Congress. Representatives from Maos home province of Hunan, entrepreneurs and media, were also on hand to hear Wang Ruipu, director of the
4、China Market Economics Society and the seminars chair, present the opening remarks. The Dongfanghong Park is due to be built in Shaoshan, Hunan Province, only a few miles away from Maos former childhood 2residence. According to Guo Shangxian, initiator of this development, the park will incorporate
5、a range of functions ?C recreation, entertainment, hospitality, museum, and conference facilities. “Mao was a great national figure,” Guo said regarding his purpose, “and it was he who changed the fate of China by leading a successful revolution. Now that China has achieved a life of abundance and h
6、appiness, we should remember Mao and his thought.” The park broke ground last July. A 194.9-meter-high tower will be its center piece. Its height symbolizes 1949, the year that Mao announced the foundation of the Peoples Republic of China. The base of the tower, a square with a side length of 150 me
7、ters, has been designed in the style of a Great Wall beacon tower and houses a museum with a historic collection of modern Chinese memorabilia and artifacts that illustrate the countrys progress in military, technology, culture and art. A smaller structure connected to the main tower will serve as a
8、n opera house, in which classical performances from Maos time and modern stage productions will be mounted. It will also act as a conference hall. The tower will be adorned with three large ascending spheres, which represent, from top to base, the moon, the 3radiant sun and the earth held aloft by t
9、wo giant hands. Each also has practical functions, the Moon section, for example, is a revolving restaurant. The current phase of construction is expected to be completed within three years. The second and third phases will comprise a million square meters devoted to luxury hotels, a food palace, and a sculpture garden.
