Mao's Mausoleum

Mao Mausoleum, the Memorial Hall of Chairman Mao, is the final resting place of Mao Zedong, chairman of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China from 1945 until his death in 1976. The mausoleum is located in the middle of Tiananmen Square in Beijing. The mausoleum was built soon after Mao's death on September 9, 1976. And the mausoleum was completed on May 24, 1977. Mao's remains are on display for public viewing from Tuesday to Sunday from 8:00am to noon. People line up for hundreds meters every day to see the former chairman, many paying tribute to him with flowers that can be purchased at the entrance on the north side. Admission is free and is staffed by honor guards. As with most mausoleums, strict rules are enforced for visitors which includes no talking, no smoking, no photography or videotaping Mao's casket or any place inside the building, as well as a dress code of all headgear being removed (for men) and no shorts or miniskirts worn.

The memorial hall is composed of North Hall, Memorial Hall and South Hall. The North Hall is the place where people hold the public memorial activities in front of the picture of Chairman Mao Zedong. In the center of the hall sits the statue of Chairman Mao. Behind the statue, there is a huge woolen needlepoint tapestry shows the picture of beautiful mountains and rivers. The core of the memorial hall is the Respecting Hall, in the middle of which is the crystal coffin that contains the remains of Chairman Mao in grey sun yat sen's uniform and covered with the red banner of the Chinese Communist Party. Made of black granite, the coffin platform is surrounded by flowers. On the white-marble wall of the hall, gold-plating characters are beset: Eternal glory to our great leader and teacher Chairman Mao! On the east and west side, there are lounge halls. Besides, there are also memorial halls of Zhou Enlai, Liu Shaoqi and Zhu De. Mao Zedong's surviving family members always visit the mausoleum annually on Mao's birthday and the day he died.