Newspapers

Noted Political Thinker on Chairman Mao

060403.tyson.th.jpg
Mike Tyson delights, terrifies his Chinese hosts

Last year's publication of a controversial biography by Jung Chang and Jon Halliday and a proposal at this year's NPC that he be removed from China's currency have suggested that Mao Zedong may be falling out of favor with some. Whether being accused of atrocities during his tenure as China's leader or being snubbed in favor of Deng Xiaoping, Mao's image has taken a few hits recently.

Fortunately, the Chairman still has some fans. Mike Tyson took time out of a trip to Shanghai to fly up to Beijing and pay a visit to the Chairman's mausoleum (mao-soleum?) on Tian'anmen Square Saturday. Xinhua reports:

Former world heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson had originally planned only to visit Shanghai, but unexpectedly arrived in Beijing on April 1, visiting the Chairman Mao Memorial Mausoleum to pay his respects to the great man whom he has admired his whole life.
At the conclusion of his trip to Beijing, Tyson said, "In front of Chairman Mao's body, I felt very small. It is an incomparably great honor to be able to visit his mausoleum. I hope that soon I will be able to return to China and have a match here."

A more detailed report from the Beijing Times adds that Tyson wore a white t-shirt with a picture of Shaquille O'Neal on it, arrived at the mausoleum in a Benz, and

stood before the Chairman's body for a long time, with an air of sincere devotion. Upon leaving [the mausoleum], he bought three commemorative books, and was interested in buying posters of Chairman Mao and several other founding fathers but was forced to abandon attempts to purchase them because of the overwhelming number of tourists.
...
Tyson has never concealed his love of Chairman Mao. He had once said in the past that "Chairman Mao was a strong, great man." Tyson has a tattoo of the Chairman on his right arm, and has read the Selected Quotations of Chairman Mao.

(Perhaps while he was in prison for rape.)

Links and Sources
Media Partners
Visit these sites for the latest China news
090609guardian2.png 090609CNN3.png
China Media Timeline
Major media events over the last three decades
Danwei Model Workers
laomo2008fpA.jpg
Recommended blogs and new media
Books on China
AXL090619paulfrenchbook.jpg
Foreign journalists in China, from the Opium Wars to Mao : Paul French, author of a book on Carl Crow has written a book about the lives and exploits of foreign journalists reporting from China from the 1820s to 1949.
Earnshaw Books' Tales of Old Peking: Tales from Old Peking is available from Earnshaw Books, and like its sister, Tales from Old Shanghai is a book of fragments of information about periods, events or places in Beijing's history, collaging together pictures and text about eunuchs, concubines, the Lama Temple, Opium Wars, art, emperors, and a miscellany of other interesting topics
Henry F. Pringle's "Bridge House Survivor": Pringle was imprisoned by Japanese forces from October 1942 to August 1945, and Bridge House Survivor, available from Earnshaw Books, is his harrowing account of torture under the Japanese.
Front Page of the Day
A different newspaper every weekday
From the Vault
Classic Danwei posts
+ A short interview with Muzi Mei (2004.02): Danwei interviews Muzi Mei
+ CCTV vs. classic movies (2006.03): A rundown of several pastiches of Chinese movies appearing online as 大史记 - "The Year That Was". Some from CCTV, others not. With links to video.
+ Street hawker cries of Beijing (2006.12): Yang Changhe demonstrates hawker's cries in a video shot by Muzimei.
Danwei Archives
Danwei Feeds
Via Feedsky rsschiclet2.png (on the mainland)
or Feedburner rsschiclet.gif (blocked in China)
rsschiclet2.png rsschiclet.gif Main feed: Main posts (FB has top links)
rsschiclet2.png rsschiclet.gif Top Links: Links from the top bar
rsschiclet2.png rsschiclet.gif Danwei Jobs: Want ads
rsschiclet2.png rsschiclet.gif Danwei Digest: Updated daily, 19:30