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Chairman Mao auditionPosted by Eric Mu on Thursday, December 11, 2008 at 5:34 PM
 Chongqing Evening News December 11, 2008 Over 130 Chairman Mao impersonators from across the country have come to the former leader's hometown of Xiangtan, Hunan Province, to audition for a part in a tourist drama. The front page of today's Chongqing Evening News shows the actors that have made it to the final round. The drama, called A Red Sun Rises In Shaoshan, is the highlight of the local "red tourism" project, a concept that has been promoted by national tourism authorities since 2004. To make things more attractive to tourists, a special audience participation section was incorporated in the drama so viewers could interact with the impersonator. Zhou Yongjin, the director of the provincial cultural department and the drama's producer, said that the many tourists who visit Shaoshan from around the world would provide a solid audience for the drama. He also found that the audiences at tourist destinations are typically more "generous":
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+ Korean history doesn't fly on Chinese TV screens (2007.09): SARFT puts the kibbosh on Korean historical dramas. + Religion and government in an uneasy mix (2008.03): Phoenix Weekly (凤凰周刊) article from October, 2007, on government influence on religious practice in Tibet. + David Moser on Mao impersonators (2004.10): I first became aware of this phenomenon in 1992 when I turned on a Beijing TV variety show and was jolted by the sight of "Mao Zedong" and "Zhou Enlai" playing a game of ping pong. They both gave short, rousing speeches, and then were reverently interviewed by the emcee, who thanked them profusely for taking time off from their governmental duties to appear on the show.
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Comments on Chairman Mao audition
Will the dancing Maos please wait in the wing we are only auditioning the signing Maos!
Chairman Mao is the new Elvis!