Confucis and Mao: Age Old Ideologies in Present Day

Zen learned about Confucius in school and wanted to know more about the Confucius statue and the uproar around its appearance (and later removal!) in front of the newly renovated National Museum in Tiananmen Square.

Photo of the statue from AFP/Getty

The 31-foot bronze statue of the Chinese sage was erected near Tiananmen Square in January of this year - only to "disappear" 4 months later. The political class was first to take notice of the statue, a historical reminder of Chinese politicians relying heavily on symbolism and historical allegory to attack their rivals. The statue caused turmoil since Confucius faced the iconic portrait of Mao Zedong. The history of Mao and Confucius dates back to the Cultural Revolution against the “Four Olds” (old customs, old culture, old habits and old ideas).

One night in April the statue mysteriously disappeared and was later relocated with no explanation! It has caused much commotion in China - students of Confucius are outraged while Mao fans celebrated on the streets of Tiananmen Square on what is seen as victory for Mao.Given the government has recently embraced Confucius ideals, this incident is an interesting look into the intricacies and complexities of China's leadership