In Nanjie, every day is a “red” day.
Villagers awaken to the strains of a classic tune honouring the country’s late leader: “The east is red, the sun is rising. China has brought forth a Mao Zedong.”
In the early morning light, cyclists head to “Red East” square, inaugurated in 1993 to mark the centenary of Mao’s birth. A white marble statue of the Great Helmsman, watched over by two young guards, dominates the plaza.
Giant portraits of the heroes of communism - Marx, Engels, Lenin, Stalin - adorn the square. Dozens of red flags wave in the wind.
“Nanjie is rather special,” says 40-year-old resident Chen Xinjian.
Although more than 30 years have passed since the death of Mao, time seems to have stopped in Nanjie, a village of 3 500 people - 500 of them members of the Communist Party - in the poor central province of Henan.
While the rest of the country has embraced capitalism, long-time local party secretary Wang Hongbin has remained loyal to the communist ideal of a collective economy.
As the country’s 1,3 billion people grapple with escalating school fees, medical bills and housing costs, Wang says the residents of Nanjie are carefree - and taken care of.
“Our village does not have these three problems because we are following the path of collective enterprise and common service,” says the 56-year-old bureaucrat, whose office is full of Chairman Mao memorabilia.
Nanjie is home to about 20 local businesses, including an instant noodle factory that sells its products nationwide. All of them are controlled by local authorities.
‘We have only one thing to do’
Villagers receive about 30 percent of their wages in actual salary. The rest comes in the form of benefits: free food, housing, health care and education. Residents do not have many belongings. There are few cars on the road.
“As common people, we have only one thing to do - listen to the party leadership and do whatever they say. We need to stay healthy and contribute more to Nanjie village,” says 72-year-old resident Huang Zunxian.
The town may be communist in structure and spirit, but the benefits of capitalism are not totally foreign - Nanjie has become somewhat of a star attraction on China’s “red” tourism map.
Shops are filled with Mao souvenirs - an electronic alarm clock bearing Mao’s face plays the familiar strains of the village’s anthem: “The east is red, the sun is rising…”
Authorities have set up a sightseeing path for tourists: tiny electric cars take them through fields and industrial zones and into a botanical garden.
Between the palms and banana trees, they can visit an exact replica of Mao’s childhood home in southern Shaoshan.
“Most of the other red tourism spots in China have a place in history, but Nanjie is a living example of all that,” Wang says.
Souvenir shop worker Wang Xinchao says: “We live by Mao’s philosophy. All the tourists are jealous.”
But high school principal Guo Fushen, 46, worries that Nanjie’s lustre will eventually fade, as the younger Internet-savvy generations are more interested in reading about movie stars than Mao.
“Today, as compared with our generation, the number of young people who follow Mao’s example has dropped a lot. Many of them idolise singers and starlets,” Guo says.
“Since China’s opening up in 1978, things have changed too quickly.”
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