Mao visits only without backpack!

Thursday, 25.10.2018

Today, the visit to the 'Tiān'ānmén Guǎngchǎng' (天安门广场), the 'Square of Heavenly Peace' and its most famous 'resident' was on the agenda. First, we had to pass through the barriers of the square again. Interestingly, we didn't need a passport or ID for that. We entered the square from the south, so we had the 'Gate of Heavenly Peace', the entrance to the Forbidden City, on the other side of the approximately 40-hectare area. The square is often referred to as the largest in the world.

To the right stood the 'Chinese National Museum'

and to the left was the 'Great Hall of the People', where the National People's Congress meets to cheer on the respective president.

In the middle, the heroes of the revolutionary struggle over the past two centuries are remembered.

So, right next to us on the southern side was the Ma(o)usoleum. All in all, a lesson in Soviet-inspired monumental architecture, once again barricaded to channel the flow of visitors.

At the entrance to this enclosure, we were also informed that backpacks were not allowed when visiting the 'Chairman'. In order to avoid the cumbersome procedure of locking the backpack in a locker, my mother and I went alone, while the rest of the family kept watch over the backpack. Since the Chinese word for backpack (beibao) rhymes with Mao, I passed the time in line by coming up with slogans that could be posted somewhere as teachings on the subject. I thought of something like 'You must not carry your beibao when you visit Chairman Mao' 😉 I will suggest that (briefly) before we leave the country. Although we had removed the suspicious object backpack, we were scanned again.

In a small shop in front of the mausoleum, you could still buy some carnations if you wanted. Then it got serious.

We quickly walked through the lobby where we could leave the flowers we had just bought. Security personnel were everywhere. I took a photo and was immediately solemnly admonished to delete this picture under supervision. Please don't tell anyone, but I only moved it to the trash bin and later retrieved it 😱.

As I said, without much delay, we then entered the hall with the glass sarcophagus. The body looked more like a wax figure. Mao was a small man if you only consider his height. The whole spectacle was over in a minute, if that. The room is quite small and, as I said, it was 'kuai, kuai, kuai!' At the southern exit, there were the obligatory stalls selling Mao souvenirs.