Several places commemorated the 131th anniversary of the birth of Comrade Mao Zedong, and the memorial hall and the old house in Shaoshan are open in the morning and afternoon today.
December 26th, 2024 marks the 131st anniversary of the birth of Comrade Mao Zedong.
In the morning of the 26th, People’s Daily took to microblogging to post: Comrade Mao Zedong dedicated his entire life to the party and the people, leaving a noble spiritual legacy that will forever inspire future generations. The best way to commemorate Comrade Mao Zedong is to carry forward the cause he started. Today, we pay tribute to the great leader Mao Zedong!
CCTV News also posted on microblogging: 75 years ago, on the Tiananmen Gate, he solemnly declared to the world, “The Central People’s Government of the People’s Republic of China is founded today!” He once said, “The people, only the people, are the driving force creating world history.” Born in Xiangtan, Hunan on December 26th, 1893, Mao Zedong was a great leader. Review precious moments and pay tribute to the great man! We must strive forward!
At 7 a.m. on the same day, the official WeChat account of the Mao Zedong Memorial Hall released a special themed poster to commemorate the 131st anniversary of Mao Zedong’s birth. At 8 a.m., the account shared a story about the leader: “A Pair of Glasses That Witness Lifelong Learning Promise – Commemorating the 131st Anniversary of Mao Zedong’s Birth.”
The article introduces a special pair of glasses on display in the Mao Zedong Memorial Hall’s Revolutionary Achievements Memorial Room. One frame lacks a left arm, while the other lacks a right arm. These glasses accompanied Mao Zedong in his later years as he diligently read books. They are a genuine testament to his unwavering commitment to lifelong learning and his belief that “Books cannot be put down for a single day.” As Mao Zedong’s physical condition declined in his later years, making it difficult for him to walk, he often studied while lying in bed reading documents, books, and newspapers. He preferred to lie on his side while reading, which made it inconvenient to wear regular glasses as the arm would always press a deep indentation into his temple. To provide him with a more comfortable reading experience, staff members sought out Beijing Guangming Optometry Shop and customized a pair of glasses specifically designed for reading while lying down. The optician selected two regular frames and removed either the left or right arm to create the unique pair of glasses with only one arm each. When lying on his left side, he would wear the glass without a left arm, and vice versa for his right side. This arrangement solved the problem of discomfort caused by the arms pressing on his temple. Mao Zedong was very satisfied with this arrangement and it became an essential tool for him to read books and newspapers in his later years.
After the founding of New China, even with a busy schedule, Mao Zedong continued to read constantly. His bed was often piled with books that were half a foot tall. His personal library was already rich, but he often borrowed books from libraries. In 1958, Beijing Library issued him No. 1 borrower card. Libraries in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Wuhan, Chengdu, Lushan, and other places all have records of his book borrowings.
The article also describes how even in his late years when he was plagued by illness, Mao Zedong never gave up his love for books. His staff described his reading life as “reading while traveling, reading while sleeping, and even reading while doing daily tasks.” When he could no longer read small-print books due to eye problems, he switched to newly printed large-print bound volumes and continued reading until his last breath. By 1976, Mao Zedong’s physical condition had further declined due to age-related cataracts surgery, and most of his time was spent lying in bed. Despite physical discomfort and pain, he persevered and reread numerous books such as “二十四史” (Records of the Grand Historian) and “鲁迅全集” (Complete Works of Lu Xun) with his special glasses. On September 8th, 1976, just hours before his death at the age of 83, Mao Zedong requested his final book – “容斋随笔” (Rong斋 Notes), which he had long cherished. That day he read books and documents a total of 11 times before his final reading session lasted for 30 minutes seven hours before his passing away peacefully in accordance with his lifelong promise to learn without rest until death do us part leaving behind a valuable spiritual legacy for Chinese Communists which was documented by The Paper earlier reported that the official WeChat account of Mao Zedong Memorial Hall announced days ago that December 26th will be open from 7:30 am to 11:30 am and from 2 pm to 5 pm in celebration of Mao Zedong’s 131st birthday anniversary韶山毛泽东纪念馆也发布了公告宣布：在毛泽东同志诞辰周年纪念日的这一天，本馆所辖各景点都正常开放，包括毛泽东同志故居景区、生平展区、专题展区、南岸私塾以及毛氏宗祠等。其中，毛泽东同志故居、生平展区以及专题展区需要进行实名制预约（免费）。公告还详细介绍了各景区的开放时间：故居景区早上七点开始检票，下午六点半停止检票；生平展区早上九点开始检票，下午四点停止检票；专题展区早上九点开始检票，下午四点停止检票。
