A huge statue of China's revolutionary leader Mao Zedong is
being erected at a square in Gonggar County, Tibet Autonomous Region, according to the local
government.
The 35-ton granite statue, rising 7.1 meters from a 5.16-meter
pedestal, was said to be the largest of its kind in China and the
first in Tibet with Mao's statue.
Changsha, capital of Hunan Province and Mao's hometown, donated 6.5
million yuan (US$812,500) for the plaza, of which 480,000 yuan
(US$60,000) was spent on the statue, said Feng Conglong, deputy
head of Gonggar county.
Hunan people had donated more than 25.8 million yuan (US$3.22
million) to Tibet over the past decade to build hospitals, schools
and greenhouses, said Daindar, deputy secretary of the county's
committee of Communist Party of China.
"Many Tibetan people suggested we should have a statue of
Chairman Mao to show our gratitude for the people of his hometown
when we planned the square," said Daindar.
Mao Zedong, born into a farming family on December 26, 1893, was
the founder and leader of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the People's Republic of China.
In 1951, Mao and his comrades peacefully liberated Tibet and
then ushered in a reform to abolish the thousands years old serfdom
on this plateau.
This year is the 30th anniversary of his death.
The statue is placed at Shangcha square which is under
construction in the county.
Thousands of local people gathered in the county seat to see the
statue when it arrived early this month, some with hada, a
traditional white scarf for a blessing, said Soinam, a construction
worker at the square.
"To protect the statue, we attached a lightning rod and
strengthened the base, so Chairman Mao can withstand earthquakes up
to 5.5 on the Richter scale," said Daindar.
"We seldom see earthquake or lightening in Gonggar, but we want
to ensure the statue is secure," said Daindar.
The statue will be the central landmark of the square, which
covers about 40,000 square meters and will be completed in
July.
The square will also host the annual week-long commodity fair of
Gonggar in October, attracting around 10,000 people from home and
abroad, said Daindar.
Dagzain, a female farmer, said she would come to the square to
honor Mao.
"Now, we can present hada to him at any time," said Dagzain.
(Xinhua News Agency April 17, 2006)