During the student demonstrations of 1989 in China, protesters
splattered the large portrait of Mao Zedong on Tiananmen Gate with
paint. Immediately the skies darkened and a wind storm with
torrential rain hit Beijing. For many this proved Mao's displeasure
with the protesters, particularly with the attack on his portrait.
People were mindful too that the chairman's embalmed corpse lay in
state in a huge mausoleum in the centre of the square.
The following year a minibus crashed in the city of Guangzhou,
killing all occupants except for the driver, who had a portrait of
Mao Zedong on prominent display. Soon all vehicles in the country,
public and private, carried plastic-covered Mao portraits. Many
claimed that incidents such as the minibus crash proved that Mao's
picture was a potent symbol capable of deflecting evil.
The early 1990s saw a steady stream of Mao-related publications,
lauding his talents as a leader, military strategist, statesman and
cultural figure. To the masses, however, Mao Zedong had become a
popular god, not unlike military or literary figures who had been
deified in the past. Portraits of Mao Zedong still dominate many
Chinese homes.
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