Show's revolutionary theme revives a slice of history

The largescale live show, From China Arises Mao Zedong, has been staged since April 2014 in Mao’s hometown Shaoshan, Hunan province. Provided To China Daily

As one of the few live shows with a revolutionary theme in the country, it has become a major draw for tourists who visit Shaoshan to pay tribute to Mao Zedong. Liu Xiangrui and Feng Zhiwei report.

With the classical revolutionary tune The East Is Red playing, "Chairman Mao" walks to the center of the stage, where the Tian'anmen Gate Tower stands, and announces the founding of New China.

The voice is Mao's. This is from a recording made at the founding ceremony on Oct 1, 1949.

In the meantime, a giant statue of Mao, looking glorious with stage lighting, slowly rises to tower over the huge stage that now resembles a map of China.

This concluding scene brings the large-scale live show, From China Arises Mao Zedong, to a climax and wins waves of applause from an overwhelmed audience.

The show, which premiered in April 2014, has been staged nearly 440 times at the Runze Oriental Cultural City in Mao's hometown Shaoshan city, in Central China's Hunan province.

As one of the few live shows with a revolutionary theme in the country, it has become a major draw for tourists who visit Shaoshan to pay tribute to the late leader.

It has attracted more than 400,000 people, bringing in more than 40 million yuan ($6.2 million) in earnings. The audience members, who are between 40 and 60, are mostly brought in by tourist agencies and come from within the province or nearby regions, says Xiong Xingbao, general manager of the show's main investor Shaoshan Runze Oriental Culture Industry Development Co.