Badges of Chairman Mao Zedong, as symbols of an era, are among the most sought-after collections. Photos provided to China Daily

Industry emerges

Mao Zedong's hometown, Shaoshan, Hunan province, has developed an industry producing Mao sculptures since the leader's death in 1976, and thousands of local people have benefited.

Shaoshan has attracted millions of tourists. In December 2014, a high-speed railway connected the city to Changsha, the provincial capital. Disposable income per capita reached 18,588 yuan that year.

Sculptures of Mao are popular with tourists visiting Shaoshan. Prices of the most popular bronze busts or statues, depending on size, range from 399 yuan to 1,299 yuan. The prices of some big ones, which are custom made for schools and government organizations, are set by the local commodity pricing bureau.

Xie Jinshan, manager of a craft shop in Shaoshan who is in his 30s, says Mao statues are the most popular. The sales of his shop exceeds 1 million yuan a year, he said.

He covers each sculpture with red cloth when it is sold, not only to protect it from damage during transportation but to show his respect for the late leader.

"Sellers and buyers don't use the word 'buy'," Xie says. "Instead, we use the word 'invite', the same as we invite Buddha statues into our homes. ... Many people nowadays still appreciate what Mao did to liberate the country. The life of my family has improved greatly since I engaged in the industry 10 years ago."

He adds that the sales of big statues, which are generally 1.83 meters tall, Mao's height, fell dramatically in 2015.

"Governmental organizations, which make up the majority of buyers, have cut their budgets due to the central government's anti-graft campaign. Many of them don't even distribute mooncakes to their employees for the Mid-Autumn Festival, let alone buy expensive bronze statues."

Ji Yucheng of the China Association of Collectors says that oil paintings and documents are among the most expensive items in the red collections.

One oil painting, Chairman Mao Goes to Anyuan by Liu Chunhua, was sold at auction for 6.05 million yuan in 1995.

An edition of Mao's quotations, published in 1944, is worth 180,000 yuan because few of them have appeared on the market.

Wen Xinzheng in Shaoshan contributed to this story.

Contact the writers throughcangwei@chinadaily.com.cn

Top 10 most popular 'red' items in China

1. Chairman Mao Zengdong badges.

More than 150,000 people in China collect Mao memorabilia badges. The ordinary badges range in cost from less than 10 yuan ($1.57; 1.4 euros) to several hundred yuan, while some rare ones cost more than 10,000 yuan.

2. Old books written by Chairman Mao and other top national leaders.

3. "Cultural revolution" porcelain. Refers to porcelain manufactured during the 1960s and 70s, with themes of the "cultural revolution" (1966-76).

4. Classic oil paintings. Paintings with Mao's image are the most popular. One of the most famous is Chairman Mao Goes to Anyuan by Liu Chunhua, painted in 1967.

5. Copies of Mao's quotations. There are more than 500 editions of Mao quotations, both in Chinese and foreign languages.

6. Classic literary works. Refers to the first and illustrated editions of classic books about how New China was founded such as Red Rock by Luo Guangbin and Yang Yiyan, Red Sun by Wu Qiang and Keep the Red Flag Flying by Liang Bin.

7. "Red" comic books with themes related to the formation of New China.

8. Old "red" photos.

9. Special publications related to National Day, especially those published before 1974.

10. Comic books related to the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression (1937-45).