Mao's legacy lives on

Photo by Sun Dahong

"There have always been concerns that today's society is one without belief, but I have rediscovered it among the ordinary people. Mao worship is an instinctive expression of their emotion and perhaps even reflects a higher level of spiritual need," Sun says.

"To his worshipers, Chairman Mao stands for auspice and victory, represents social justice and is a man that leads them to common wealth. So they believe in, respect and love Chairman Mao," Sun says.

Also a Mao fan, Sun is not dissimilar to Ai Pa, in that his family also suffered under Mao's rule. Sun's mother, a provincial cadre in Yunnan, was persecuted to death during the "cultural revolution", when Sun and his younger brother were both in Shanxi province receiving reeducation from local peasants.

His mother's death has been a lingering anguish but Sun has never blamed or hated Chairman Mao. After all, he says, blame for personal grievances should not all go to a policymaker.

As for Mao's errors, a controversial topic, Sun would like to quote a man he met in Dehong, an autonomous prefecture of ethnic Dai and Jingpo, when shooting his album:

"Chairman Mao's contributions and merits are like a majestic mountain, but his faults can be measured in just a handful of earth."

Huang Jisu agrees that Mao's mistakes should be placed under critical analysis, but he argues that criticism should be based on facts instead of rumors or slander.

"For such an epoch-making man, he is always a giant, no matter what the comments are, be it praise or censure," Huang says.