China: Riding on Chairman Mao’s head · Global Voices
Bob Chen

On Feb19，a set of pictures that shows a girl riding on the head of Chairman Mao was circulated around the internet. Of course, what she rides is just a statue erected on the plaza in Hunan, Mao's hometown. However, the story with the pictures immediately secured the headline position in various portal websites; in particular, over 50000 comments were left after the story in Netease.
Address: Hunan.voc.com.cn
Maomania is not waning away. Though books and researches today more clearly reveal to Chinese his mistakes that results in millions of death during the Great Leap Forward, and critiques float not rarely on the internet, Mao has still a solid support among Chinese. Recently, as Russia sank a Chinese ship and Philippine claims sovereignty over islands at south sea, people grow more reminiscent of Mao's iron-hand foreign policies.
In Netease’ reply page of this news story, the single comment that is bumped to the top by 27000 times is a curse from a Qingdao netizen
一看那群人的样儿，就他妈的土包子。老巴子
Someone from Jiangsu said:
太缺教养!
Interestingly, this comment takes a leading position too:
想跟那个女的发生关系的点支持，不想的点反对
Support[17322] Oppose[8823]
However, when we proceed to another popular site, Tianya, which is famous for its agitated atmosphere, and powerful “flesh search engine”, more moderate voices, nonetheless, are frequently heard.
油条大果子 thinks people are overacting:
草,有什么可上纲的? 不就是骑块石头照个像吗? 什么新生活? 现在还不比以前呢? 以前最起码还能成立个工会政党什么的,现在让吗?
F**k, why so big a deal? Just a picture with a girl riding on a stone. Mao brought us new life? It is not better than before. At least we could still organize something like labor union and parties before, but are we allowed to do so now?
An intense debate was then kicked off.
什锦糖cici thinks we don't have to be so harsh to Chairman Mao
毛主席是我们的开国领袖啊
就算犯过错，也不用这样吧
wo草泥马 rebuked:
靠，不要这么上纲上线，着有啥，不就一块石头嘛？
共CD当年烧了、砸了多少中华民族真正的英雄，真正的先烈的塑像，
我是散户我怕谁呀 followed, comparing Mao to Saddam:
开国？开的一个什么国？一个腐败的、独裁的专职的、草菅老百姓的国？
什么开国元勋？战犯而已，有朝一日会像美军解放伊拉克时，萨达姆的塑像被群众推翻。
However,baino5 appealed people to show respect to a past leader:
且不说你们对国家，对政府有什么意见，但和这件事完全不相干，你爸爸的骨灰不过就是一把土，老子是不是可以撒泡尿和泥玩？
Whatever complaints you may bear against the government and the country, it has nothing to do with the incident. Along your line of argument, the bone ash of your father is nothing but soil, so that I can pee on it?
Several people agree with the point, saying a grave is not to be for fun.
But qwerty_a ridicules the point, thinking that putting statues for public memory is another matter.
哈哈，你家祖坟放在广场中央？
Finally,如是我译 speaks boldly:
他骑了几亿人民一辈子，
凭啥就不能让别人骑一下下？
Translator: If you are interested to know more about Mao and his legacy, I recommend you to visit Utopian world, the political and cultural base of modern leftism in China, which has numerous articles advocating Mao's thought and ideals.