Xinyu, 31, is the son of Mao Anqing (1923-), the second son of Mao Zedong.

His first book on family is about his uncle Mao Anying, the elder brother of his father.

"I've got lots of first-hand materials," said Xinyu, "I believe my family stories could reflect in a sense the ups and downs in the modern history of China."

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On 16 July 1966, a great Crossing-the-Yangzi event was organized in Wuhan to commemorate the event. Mao showed up to stress his support for this exercise and plopped down from his boat to float downstreams for over an hour. During his dip, he exchanged jokes with the masses and taught a woman how to perform the backstroke swim. The happening was covered extensively by the Chinese mass media. It was widely interpreted as a demonstration that Mao, although residing in Shanghai, far removed from the locus of power (Beijing), still was physically fit and able to continue to lead China on its revolutionary course. This played a major role in his bid to regain power during the Cultural Revolution.

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Chairman Mao is the founder of the People's Republic of China and he is one of the essential characters in the modern history of China. Until now, almost ten million people have come to the Chairman Mao's Mausoleum, people from all over the world have visited and paid their respects to one of the greatest politicians in China.

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Mao had a strong interest in the political system, encouraged by his father. His two most famous essays, both from 1937, 'On Contradiction' and 'On Practice', are concerned with the practical strategies of a revolutionary movement and stress the importance of practical, grassroots knowledge, obtained through experience. Both essays reflect the guerrilla roots of Maoism in the need to build up support in the countryside against a Japanese occupying force and emphasise the need to win over 'hearts and minds' through 'education'. The essays, reproduced later as part of the 'Red Book', warn against the behaviour of the blindfolded man trying to catch sparrows, and the 'Imperial envoy' descending from his carriage to 'spout opinions' .

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The People's Republic of China was established on October 1, 1949. It was the culmination of over two decades of civil and international war. From 1954 to 1959, Mao was the Chairman of the PRC. During this period, Mao was called Chairman Mao or the Great Leader Chairman Mao . The Communist Party assumed control of all media in the country and used it to promote the image of Mao and the Party. The Nationalists under General Chiang Kai-Shek were vilified as were countries such as the United States of America and Japan. The Chinese people were exhorted to devote themselves to build and strengthen their country. In his speech declaring the foundation of the PRC, Mao announced: "The Chinese people have stood up!"

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The extent of Mao's knowledge as to the severity of the situation has been disputed. According to some, most notably Dr. Li Zhisui, Mao was not aware of anything more than a mild food and general supply shortage until late 1959.

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Mao is regarded as a national hero of China. In 2008, China opened the Mao Zedong Square to visitors in his hometown of central Hunan Province to mark the 115th anniversary of his birth.

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