This is the next installment of my book, The Cultural Revolution: Then and Mao.
To read the previous installment, click this link.
To start at the beginning, click this link.
Chapter 32
The Death of Mao Zedong
Jiang Qing, or Madame Mao, as she was also called, was ambitious to succeed her husband, Mao, upon his death. She wanted to be the next leader of China. But she was not very concerned about Mao’s selection of Hua Guofeng as his successor. Hua seemed like a placable, biddable pushover of a man. And this was probably why Mao had selected him. Mao preferred puppets.
When the time came for a showdown, Jiang felt confident she could easily depose Hua, or become his new marionettist.
And Mao’s health was failing, so it seemed a succession showdown could come at any time. He’d been a chain-smoker most of his adult life, and he had heart and lung disease. He’d suffered a stroke in 1972. And in March 1976, he had a major heart attack.
His last public appearance occurred on May 27, 1976. In July 1976, he suffered a second major heart attack. Then on September 5, 1976, his third major heart attack of the year left him hospitalized as an invalid.
Jiang, the ringleader of the Gang of Four, came to visit him in the hospital. But there was no sincere wish for his well-being. They had been separated for several years now, and their marriage was on the rocks, although few people knew about this.
She was allowed to tend to him, but the way she tended to him raised eyebrows with the medical staff. They warned her she was causing more harm than good, but she insisted on continuing this form of “care.”
Mao’s organs began to fail soon after Jiang’s arrival. His condition deteriorated rapidly. And shortly after midnight, on September 9, 1976, Chairman Mao Zedong passed away from this Earth on a trajectory for wherever the souls of calloused, murderous tyrants are delivered. He was 82 years old.
He was still a hero with the people, in spite of the events since Zhou’s death, so many Chinese were deeply saddened by the news of Mao’s passing. His body lay in state at the Great hall of the People for one week, giving one million Chinese a chance to pay their respects. Many openly wept.
On September 18, 1976, a three-minute silence was observed nationwide, in Mao’s honor. However during this time, some people chose to fire guns, blow whistles, and sound horns. A million people packed into Tiananmen Square, where a band played the socialist standard, The Internationale. Finally, Hua Guofeng, the new leader of China, stood atop Tiananmen Gate and delivered a eulogy.
Mao had wanted cremation, but Jiang Qing demanded that he be embalmed and put on public display, similar to Lenin’s body. So his corpse was preserved in formaldehyde and eventually put on permanent display in 1977, in a mausoleum in Tiananmen Square. It remains there to this day, in a dimly lit chamber, watched by a military honor guard, and with an orange light shining upon his head.
The Mausoleum of Mao Zedong, in Tiananmen Square, is a very popular tourist attraction. Photo by Yongxinge. CC BY-SA 3.0.
Come on back in a few days for the next installment, entitled Chapter 33: The Coup.
Categories: Series (History): The Cultural Revolution
Chasing Unicorns 
I have to say that when I saw the title I was like “Yay! He died!” The horror he caused the world was over! Though Jing worries me! What exact “care” did she give Mao in the hospital??
So Mao is honored even in his death by what Jing had done in
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Oops! I didn’t mean to post it yet.
But I think it would have been better to have had him cremated then to build a big mausoleum for him and having people come pay their respects to a horrible man!
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I agree. And besides, cremation is what he wanted. But once your dead, you have no control over what others do with your body, and Jiang had other plans for him.
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Yay! Ding-dong the wicked Mao is dead!
The details about what Jiang did to Mao in the hospital are sketchy and disputed. Some historians claim nothing untoward happened, while others aren’t so sure. Knowing Jiang, I side with the others.
Mao was venerated like a god by most Chinese. So imagine how they felt when he died. It reminds me of how admired Josef Stalin was, in the Soviet Union. Political prisoners who were sent to the Gulag (which he established), were certain that their beloved leader, “Uncle Joe,” was completely unaware of the horrible conditions. They actually wrote him letters from the Gulag, to notify him, so that he could correct the problem.
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Especially being that they were separated so it doesn’t seem that there was a strong love there. And yes with just the way she was I would be suspicious but who would dare to accuse her!
Its sad how blinded and disllusioned some people can be!
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Ed Zachary, who would dare to accuse her?
It is sad. You probably met such people at the beach. So gullible.
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….mmm…!!
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LOL!
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I didn’t realize his sorry ass was still around and in a mausoleum. Ick. Jiang hastened his exit, OH WELL. Does anyone step up and hasten her departure?
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Can you imagine that today people still wait in long lines just to view his body? Must be morbid curiosity.
As to what happens to the wicked witch, you’ll just have to stay tuned.
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That would be about as sick as long lines to see JFK’s body.
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Or Elvis, or anyone else.
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Good point.
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Not to change the subject but, changing the subject, check out the last cartoon. I thought of you:
https://wordpress.com/read/blogs/20004668/posts/68378
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Yep, that’s one problem with unicorns. They have no sense of time.
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😄
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it is odd that his wish to be cremated was not honored; keeping him on display is kind of creepy…
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I think Jiang was trying to one-up everyone on her devotion to Mao’s memory, thinking that would help her win the power struggle to be his successor.
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she learned from the master…
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Very true.
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