Chapter 106 The Building of Memorial Hall and the Bombing of the Crystal Coffin 1977-1979

Journalist: “Are you the leader of the Gang of Four?”

Mao: “Yes. People say it should be the Gang of Five, and I am the leader. But Deng Xiaoping separated me from the group. My portrait is hung on Tiananmen Square, and my body is placed in a crystal coffin in the Memorial Hall.”

Journalist: “Deng Xiaoping separated you from the Gang of Four and had your grand portrait hung on Tiananmen Square. Are you happy about it? What do you think of Deng Xiaoping taking over your position?”

Mao: “I am happy. Deng Xiaoping no longer promotes personality cult. He enjoys playing bridge and doesn’t like being extravagantly praised. He changed the focus from class struggle to reform and opening up, providing the people with a way to make a living, from semi-starvation to having enough to eat. Politically, he emphasized the ‘Four Cardinal Principles.’ He changed the lifelong tenure to a ten-year term, but he didn’t make substantial changes to the system. Communist dictatorship remained largely unchanged, with no freedom of speech or democratic elections for the people.”

Journalist: “How was your personal property handled?”

Mao: “After my death, it was discovered that I had a personal bank deposit of 172 million yuan. It was sealed by the central authorities at that time and unfrozen in the 1980s. Half of it was contributed to the party funds, and the other half was distributed by my family members. My grandson, Mao Xinyu, and his daughter received 86 million yuan. At that time, I was considered the richest person in China.

After my death, my belongings were counted. There were 150,000 volumes of books, over 7,000 pieces of various inscriptions and tablets, most of which were valuable items seized by the Red Guards during the Cultural Revolution. These valuable items were specially sent to Kang Sheng and then given to me, Zhou Enlai, Chen Boda, and others for selection. Zhou didn’t keep any of them, but I kept the most. People say I led a simple and honest life, but it is all false. The common people don’t know the truth about me. The authorities hid the facts to maintain my leadership image. Experts point out that I am the root cause of corruption and decadence in China.”

I kneel down and repent for my wrongdoing

Journalist: “In the Western Heaven, you kneel before God, the Jade Emperor, Confucius, and Marx, repenting: I am the eternal sinner, unparalleled in the history of mankind, both ancient and modern, domestic and foreign, for the magnitude of my crimes.

People say that Hitler was the number one mass murderer of the 20th century. Hitler conspired with Stalin to start World War II, and he killed six million Jews, with a total death toll of 30 million during the war. However, Hitler did not harm his fellow Germans, while I massacred 80 million Chinese, far exceeding Hitler’s deeds.

Hitler lived a frugal life and improved the living standards of his people during his rule. I had 50 palaces, and no emperor or king, past or present, could compare to me. During my 27-year rule, the people suffered tremendously, living in dire straits.

People say that Stalin was the second mass murderer of the 20th century. Stalin killed 20 million people, but I killed four times as many as him.

Stalin only killed people, but he did not kill civilization. Russian religion remained unharmed. I, on the other hand, killed both people and civilization. I killed Confucius and allowed the Red Guards to dig up his tomb and destroy Confucian temples.

I invented the “Rectification Movement” and established the model of persecuting individuals within the Communist Party. Stalin only knew how to execute people, but I first killed their spirit and then their bodies.

I invented mass movements and incited ignorant students to rebel under my command, causing chaos in the country. Hitler and Stalin had no understanding of how to use students to their advantage.

What Hitler and Stalin propagated had some basis, but I excelled at fabricating and concealing the truth. Many celebrities and dignitaries were deceived by me. I said there was no famine in China, and they believed me. I concealed the famine.

Hitler ruled by dictatorship, but he went through elections. Stalin’s dictatorship also followed some organizational forms. I, on the other hand, was completely lawless. The constitution and party regulations were mere decorations. My words were the highest directive, and everything was done according to my will.

From Genghis Khan to Hitler and Stalin, they only knew how to kill with weapons. I killed with both force and culture. Not only did I kill people, but
I also killed civilization. I am the world’s first mass murderer who killed both people and civilization.”

Journalist: “So you admit that you are a greater mass murderer than Hitler and Stalin?”

Mao: “Yes, I have set multiple world records:

During peacetime, without natural disasters or epidemics, 40 million people died of starvation.

During the period of peaceful construction, 600 million people lived in semi-starvation for 20 years.

In one year, over one million intellectuals were persecuted as rightists.

In one year, 16 million middle school students were sent to the countryside, essentially enduring long-term exile.”

Journalist: “Did you break the world record for killing people?”

Mao: “Yes, consumed by lust for power, I had a single-minded desire to become an emperor, to be the communist king of the world. I deceived the people, using the slogan of ‘serving the people’ as a cover, but in reality, the people were only tools for my own use. I didn’t hesitate to sacrifice countless lives to satisfy my thirst for power.

In 1927, when I became the mountain king, I had a single-minded determination to follow in the footsteps of Zhu Yuanzhang and become an emperor.

In 1945, I successfully became the emperor of the Communist Party, hailed as ‘long live’ in Yan’an.

In 1946, I was not satisfied with being just the emperor of the Communist Party; I wanted to be the emperor of China. I engaged in talks with Chiang Kai-shek, but it was merely a show. My ultimate goal was to become the emperor, and in 1949, I finally ascended the throne as the emperor of China.

But I wasn’t content with being the emperor of China. In order to become the communist king of the world, I brought about a series of national disasters, resulting in the deaths of 80 million people.

In 1950, the Korean War paved the way for me to become the communist king of the world.

In 1953, when Stalin died, the timing was right for me to become the communist king of the world. At the 1957 World Communist Conference, I declared that no matter how many billions of people died, we must achieve world communist revolution.

In 1958, I launched the Great Leap Forward, sprinting toward communism, and presented it as a model for the world. I failed, and I used the suppression of Peng Dehuai to cover up my failures.

From 1959 to 1961, there was a three-year famine. Liu Shaoqi spoke of “seven-tenths man-made disaster,” which threatened my imperial position. I was determined to eliminate him.

In 1966, I initiated the Cultural Revolution, regardless of the immense calamities it caused, in order to ensure that my red sun would never set, even until the end of my life.”

Journalist: “Will your history of 30 years of calamities remain in the world forever?”

Mao: “Yes, every wrongdoing has its origin and its debts to be settled. The root of the several decades of national disasters lies with me. During my 27-year rule in China, which coincided with the golden era of global peace and development, countries around the world made tremendous progress in their construction efforts. Asian countries like South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Singapore became the ‘Four Asian Tigers’ with booming economies. In contrast, China experienced continuous disasters, countless deaths, social regression, and people’s misery. For the past 40 years in the afterlife, I have been repenting. I am the greatest emperor in history, with the greatest sins, forever kneeling before the millions of compatriots who died tragically, seeking redemption.”

Journalist: “The three major demon kings of the 20th century have been widely discussed and generally agreed upon: Hitler, Stalin, and you. How do you see yourself in comparison?”

Mao: “I believe I rank first, Stalin second, and Hitler third.”

Journalist: “Why is that?”

Mao: “Hitler killed 6 million Jews and caused 30 million deaths in Europe during World War II, but not all of those deaths can be attributed solely to him. The war was a joint effort between him and Stalin. Stalin’s responsibility alone accounted for at least 10 million deaths, and Hitler’s tally reaches 20 million. So, combined, Hitler and Stalin caused 26 million deaths. Stalin caused the death of over 20 million people in the Soviet Union. Stalin had no humanity and didn’t care how many people died as long as he could protect himself and defend Moscow. As a result, the number of deaths was five times higher than that of the Germans. Women and children were all sent to the front lines, shouting ‘For Stalin! Charge! Hurray!’ It was called the ‘Great Patriotic War,’ but in reality, it was a dog-eat-dog situation between Stalin and Hitler, a war they jointly initiated. Later, they turned against each other. It was not a just war.

Hitler had one advantage: the domestic economy thrived under his rule. He didn’t launch campaigns against his own people and showed some humanity and compassion. That’s why there was less opposition within his country. Stalin, on the other hand, killed millions of people domestically and caused over 10 million deaths due to famine. My sins are the heaviest. During the Korean War, I disregarded the lives of soldiers and adopted the ‘human wave tactics,’ with 3 million troops taking turns in battle. Over 50,000 American soldiers died, while my own army lost 1 million soldiers, a ratio of 20 to 1. I didn’t care, and I only claimed that 180,000 died to conceal the truth. During the three-year famine, 50 million people starved to death, and I didn’t care. I lacked any humanity. If I had a trace of humanity, when the famine began in 1959, I wouldn’t have suppressed Peng Dehuai. He risked his life to speak up for the people, but I persecuted him. If I had provided disaster relief, the death toll in 1960, 1961, and 1962 wouldn’t have escalated to 50 million.”

Journalist: “Are you voluntarily kneeling to seek redemption from the souls who died tragically?”

Journalist: “Yes, in recent years, there has been widespread circulation of the ‘Political Testament of Marx, Engels, Lenin, and Stalin,’ regardless of its accuracy. In my opinion, the essence of the testament is correct. It states:”

The Political Testament of Lenin, 1918:
1. With the development of productive forces, the intellectual class will increase more rapidly than the proletariat. Their role in the productive forces will rise to prominence, and the theory of proletarian dictatorship based on Marxism will become outdated in the age of electricity.
2. The Bolshevik’s proletarian dictatorship will rapidly evolve into a one-party dictatorship and then into a leader’s dictatorship. A society built on deceit and violence contains the explosives of self-destruction. Once the truth is revealed, it will immediately crumble.
3. The ‘Bolshevization’ party will face four major crises: famine crisis, ideological crisis, socio-economic crisis, and collapse crisis. Eventually, decades, but the outcome cannot be changed by anyone.
4.The greatness of a country lies not in its territory or history but in its democratic traditions and the living standards of its citizens. As long as the people are impoverished and there is no democracy, the country is prone to turmoil and ultimately collapse.”

Journalist: “Do you think this applies to China as well?”

Mao: “Yes. The Soviet Union has already experienced the collapse process described by Lenin. China has followed in the footsteps of the Soviet Union and undergone a similar process of evolution and collapse. The so-called proletarian dictatorship never truly existed; it was merely a slogan. In reality, it was a party dictatorship that eventually developed into a leader’s dictatorship, namely my dictatorship. Historian Tang Degang wrote ‘The Rise and Fall of Mao Zedong’s Dictatorship,’ which depicts the beginning and end of my 30-year dictatorship. As pointed out by Lenin, my authoritarian rule was built on deceit and violence.”

Demolish the memorial hall and build a monument to commemorate the victims

Journalist: “Was preserving your body and building the mausoleum your testament?”

Mao: “No, I didn’t leave behind any testament. I only valued the unlimited power I had while alive, and once I died, there was nothing left. I don’t believe in leaving a testament after death; what could it possibly achieve? Therefore, I didn’t leave behind any last words. Before my death, I couldn’t speak or write anymore. I expressed my hope for Jiang Qing, Hua Guofeng, and Mao Yuanxin to take over, but I doubt if they can hold their ground. The military power is not in their hands. Will those generals and marshals listen to them? But I am powerless to give orders or persuade those generals and marshals, so I can only remain silent.

As for the construction of the mausoleum, I never mentioned it, nor did I bring up preserving my body. I remember in 1956, each member of the Central Committee signed a document agreeing to cremation after death. If we talk about a testament, that would be it. I never said not to be cremated. I am not like Sun Yat-sen, who instructed to preserve his body, like Lenin for public viewing. Preserving my body and building the mausoleum were ideas from Hua Guofeng and Jiang Qing. They wanted to use me to achieve their political objectives.”

Journalist: “Your body has decomposed and cannot be preserved. The one displayed on the ground for exhibition is fabricated. Did you know about this?”

Mao: “I knew. Even during my lifetime, I was severely ill and didn’t look presentable. Even if chemical treatment could preserve my body after death, it wouldn’t be worth seeing. So I had to be buried, and my body was buried in the underground chamber of the mausoleum. They found skilled artists and craftsmen to create a lifelike replica of me using synthetic materials secretly produced by the Central Academy of Fine Arts. People can still see a more presentable figure. Of course, this is a party secret, known to few. Most people still believe they are seeing my real body.”

Journalist: “Your mausoleum is quite magnificent. Just the characters ‘纪念堂’ (Mausoleum) alone required several tons of gold. Did you know about this?”

Mao: “I knew. Hua Guofeng and Jiang Qing wanted to turn me into the ‘Instrument of National Stability’ and chose the best location in Tiananmen Square, destroying the central park of the square. They mobilized national resources and manpower, sourced the best construction materials, and worked day and night on the project. Within a year, a massive mausoleum was quickly built. Hua Guofeng personally inscribed the words ‘Mao Zedong Memorial Hall’ using six tons of gold to create six shining golden characters. He wanted to utilize me as a symbol of ‘national stability.’ I am the source of his power.”

Journalist: “The mausoleum has been completed, and the replica of your figure is also ready. People from all over the country are lining up to worship you. Are you aware of this?”

Mao: “I am aware. Even in the heavens and hells of the Western Paradise, I receive information. The first level consists of members of the Politburo who pay their respects, followed by Central Committee members, provincial party secretaries and governors, ministers and deputy ministers of central departments… These three levels alone accommodate groups of 50 people each, rotating every two months. Then there are bureau-level officials, county-level officials, and military ranks such as corps, divisions, and regiments… Hundreds of thousands of people. Every day, 700 people line up for viewing, and Tiananmen Square is constantly filled with visitors, fueling the continued fervor of personal worship towards me.”

Journalist: “Even workers and farmers receive ‘tickets for viewing’ to line up and worship you. In 1979, there was an incident known as the ‘bombing of the crystal coffin’ aimed at you. Were you aware of it?”

Mao: “I heard about it. One day in December 1979, a young farmer named Tie Ying from Daxing County in the outskirts of Beijing, whose mother was buried alive during the Cultural Revolution, sought revenge. He strapped two hand grenades to his body, hidden beneath his coat, and approached the area near my crystal coffin. Suddenly, he left the queue and ran towards my coffin, intending to detonate the grenades and perish along with my body. Several security guards swiftly intercepted and struggled with him. Eventually, he was subdued and arrested, saving my body from harm. Although that body was fake, the political impact was significant. He was sentenced to death by the public security authorities, but the case reached Hu Yaobang. At that time, Hua Guofeng had stepped down, and Hu was the General Secretary. Hu commuted the death sentence to a suspended death sentence, sparing the farmer’s life. Later, due to his good behavior in prison, his sentence was further reduced, and he was released early in 1987, becoming a martial arts instructor.

To maintain secrecy, Beijing gathered the group of 50 people who were present during the incident and organized a study session. Each person was required to sign a confidentiality agreement, ensuring absolute secrecy without revealing the incident to the outside world. As a result, most people in the country were unaware. The mausoleum was closed for two months due to this incident, and metal detectors were installed during the internal refurbishment.”

Journalist: “You still have the mausoleum now. Do you think it’s still worth existing?”

Mao: “No, demolish the ‘Mao Zedong Memorial Hall.’ I am a great sinner throughout history and not worthy of commemoration. Return my body to be buried next to my parents in my hometown. In the original location of the mausoleum, establish a ‘National Memorial for the Victims of Tragedy’ to commemorate all those who have suffered, including those who died in wars, the famines, and those persecuted to death. In the underground chamber of the memorial, erect three large reliefs depicting the ‘Anti-Rightist Campaign,’ the ‘Great Famine,’ and the ‘Cultural Revolution,’ reflecting my three great crimes. I will forever kneel before those reliefs, eternally expressing my remorse.”

Journalist: “Are you genuinely repentant?”

Mao: “Yes, I genuinely repent. I transformed law-abiding citizens into slaves, using household registration and file systems as invisible chains, binding peasants to the production brigades, workers to factories, and employees to their units. I constantly incited class hatred, forcing 600 million people into a battlefield of class struggle, tearing each other apart, and engaging in mass movements of people persecuting one another. I created a uniform ‘speech code,’ with only my quotations considered enlightened, completely depriving people of freedom of thought and belief. I vigorously unleashed people’s latent animalistic and savage instincts, encouraging looting, smashing, seizing, and copying. Rebellion and crime were considered justified and prevalent throughout the nation. I am the biggest hooligan in the history of China.

As early as 1930, Yang Kaihui denounced me as a ‘vagrant in life, a vagrant in politics,’ and I became the target of scorn, forever labeled as a vagrant worse than dog feces. I have committed greater crimes than the two demons, Hitler and Stalin. Hitler and Stalin lacked a sense of universal responsibility. They believed in ‘nation above all,’ while I believed in ‘my family above all.’ Jiang Qing used this belief and eventually ended up lying on the bed, ruling through women. Jiang Qing, Zhang Yufeng, Wang Hairong—relying on my nephews to carry out my highest directives. I only knew how to squander money and exchange it for the adoration of impoverished African countries. I indulged myself without restraint, and the entire national art troupe became my mobile harem.

The late writer Wu Zuguang (1917-2003) described me as ‘the most inhumane, most cruel, most shameless, and most treacherous tyrant in human history, annihilating lives as if it were child’s play, even easier than crushing an ant.’ I have committed heinous crimes and am willing to accept any punishment from the heavenly deity.”

Journalist: “Is your repentance complete?”

Mao: “My repentance is temporarily halted at this point. It is not yet complete. There are some things I cannot remember, and there are still some things I have not fully understood. The Communist Party authorities intend to conceal them, forbidding the publication of books exposing my secrets. Those who know dare not speak, and the archival materials related to me in the archives are still confidential and undisclosed. The full extent of my actions has not been completely revealed. Until freedom of speech is granted in China, my true nature will be fully exposed. At that time, I will further deeply repent.”