Chairman Mao Memorial Hall (Maozhuxi Jiniantang)

I have seen Lenin and Ho Chi Minh and wanted to complete this fascinating trifecta. It was an absolute must do for me. First the logistics. Closed on Mondays. Take your passport ( although mine was not checked). Do not take a bag or camera if you can help it, else check it in at the bag locker near the museum before you enter the square. Security is tight. I left everything at the hotel. Regrettably I didn't bring my phone either as I assumed it would not be allowed. It is, you just have to turn it off when you go in. The main reason I brought nothing was to avoid queues to deposit the bags. It is free of charge. I came for the flag raising ceremony at dawn which was crowded and accompanied by music. The throngs of Chinese people who had come to see it where a spectacle alone. As soon as the flag raising was over I sprinted across the square ( as did others) to join the queue to see Chairman Mao. Regrettably the dawn flag raising was at 4.50 am and the queue did not start moving until 8 am. Officially it should open at 7.30am. Highly annoying that it is not open immediately after the flag raising. Anyway, I suffered loads and loads of pushing into the queue and shoving and spitting etc during my 3 hours in the queue. Exasperating but it was what i had signed up for. Near impossible to stop the pushing in although my friend and I tried our best. We saw a lot of genuine patriotic experience in the queue. A pilgrimage of sorts. Wish I had had my phone to capture some of it and also to while away these 3 hours. I ended up sitting on the floor as I simply couldn't stand for3 hours. Be careful when the queue starts going though so you do not get trampled!! Once the queue gets going it moves. Within 10 minutes we were in and out and had been whisked past Mao. I have never witnessed so many Chinese people being so silent and reverent. Many were on their knees paying respects when they saw his massive statue inside. The body itself is in uniform and draped in a flag. It looks well preserved ( too well to be real ? ) Anyway, I am definitely glad I did this. I enjoyed being part of that line even though it was too long as I got a real insight into just how much the Chinese respect Mao. I suspect this queue would be too long for those with children. There were no children in the queue whatsoever when I was there and only a handful of foreign tourists.

Awesome atmosphere of total respect, surrounded by an eerie silence. Worth visiting to learn about Chairman Mao. Most of time, very crowded.