Posted on 11/25/2008 9:18:35 PM PST by robertvance
The students who do not quickly shout out the name 'Chairman Mao' bring up other notable names in Chinese history such as the ancient philosopher Confucious and China’s beloved first premier, Zhou Enlai. A few students have even mentioned Deng Xiaoping as China's most famous person since it was he who opened the doors and pushed China down its present path of development.
(Excerpt) Read more at teachabroadchina.com ...
I’m old enough to remember when people knew about Chiang Kai Shek, he was pretty famous at one time.
Spend much of my time in China (business), I find fewer and fewer people incline to accept Mao’s ideas. Most consider him an anachronism.
Chiang Kai Shek? Over here, you might as be saying a dirty word if you mention his name.
Hu Yaobang? Nah. Chairman Mao
Agreed. Still, he is the answer that is given when Chinese people are asked who the most famous man in their history is...
[[Is Mao Zedong Really the Most Famous Man in Chinese History?]]
No! Bruce Lee is- period!
Given that Qin lived almost 2000 years ago, it is hardly surprising that Mao has more name recognition today.
BTW, their historical importance says nothing about their worth as human beings. Both were despicable, and Mao was considerably worse. But I don't think there is anyone else in Chinese history who compares to these men in terms of how much they changed history.
Well, maybe Confucius.
I vote for a three way tie: 1) Bruce Lee 2)Jackie Chan 3) Chow Yun Fat.
I don't think there's any contest as to which man had more influence over Chinese history. Mao wins hands down.
If Chiang had won the civil war, then it would be different. But he lost. Mao won, and winners almost always have more historical impact, whether for good or ill (all ill, in Mao's case).
If you head to Asia and stop at Chiang Kai Shek airport in Taiwan, it’s a nice airport. People who complain about the presence of the TSA, well...the guards at CKS are armed to the teeth and the Taiwanese are very agitated about the Chinese, from people that I talked to there.
Footnote.
Mao will be a footnote.
“I don’t think there’s any contest as to which man had more influence over Chinese history. Mao wins hands down.
If Chiang had won the civil war, then it would be different. But he lost. Mao won, and winners almost always have more historical impact, whether for good or ill (all ill, in Mao’s case).”
I agree totally, it is just that after going to that page it occurred to me that Chiang is probably another historical figure that disappeared after the left took over, as a young man I would never have guessed that Dr. Albert Schweitzer could be so quickly and thoroughly erased for instance.
You're kidding. We're talking about a man responsible for the deaths of tens of millions of people (the Great Leap Forward), destroys millions of priceless and historically important cultural artifacts and wastes the lives of a whole generation (the cultural revolution).
If such a man ever becomes a footnote in history books, than the historians will not be doing their job.
There is no doubt about it.
You might have something there.
He may be spruned but he’ll never be a footnote. History is much more significant in China than it is here. Their history shapes what they do today.
Qublai Quan. He re-united China around 1279 [when he conquered the Sung]. Been one country ever since. And while not Chinese, he was the first emperor of the Yuan dynasty.
I also can say that all historical figures are footnotes to Chairman Mao.
Sun Tzu is the first to pop into my head.
Sun Tzu, hands down.
Sun Yat-sen
I don’t entirely agree with you. The first emperor of the Yuan dynasty is Khubilai Khan.
True, but as I note in a post above, there are few men in even that long history who have had as large an impact as Mao.
Mao malfeasance will be noted and despised and he will be belittled.
I hope he will be despised, but future generations will belittle his importance at their peril.
Relegating him to a footnote in history would be as foolish as relegating Hitler or Stalin to a footnote.
Those who forget history are doomed to repeat it.
Wong Fei Hung.
I would have chosen “Sun Tzu” or “Lao Tsu”.
If permitted to choose an immigrant to China, then “Bodhidharma” would trump the lot: who hasn’t heard of “Buddha”?
> Chiang Kai Shek? Over here, you might as be saying a dirty word if you mention his name.
Out of curiosity, FRiend, where is “over here?”
China
> No! Bruce Lee is- period!
(big grin!) He was American! And I agree, he definitely trumps Chairman Mao!
(DieHard has decided to watch “Enter the Dragon” tonite... thanks for the idea!)
Bruce Lee!
WOW! — China is one place that I would love to go visit one day. You there on business, or vacation? Or do you live there?
Yao Ming
I’m confused...shouldn’t it be Confucius?
I see statues of happy fat buddah at Chinese restaurants in America (that and the waving cat). I don’t see Chinese immigrants in America bowing to Mao.
President Maobama.
Jackie Chan.
Seriously. His films made (before he went to Hollywood and now outside of Hollywood) have been consistent draws around the world for 20 years. That’s a generation who has always known his films plus the generation that was already watching them.
He who, with his Great Leap Forward, reduced one of the world’s oldest and proudest civilizations literally to cannibalism.
Stalin killed 20 million people and is a piker compared to Hitler’s organized murder of 10 million people.
Someday Mao will be seen for what he was. The old China will return and shake off the trappings of Marx. But, watch out— when China wakes the world will shake. I still believe a war will be fought between China and the USA and I do not think its a war we can win—lets hope I am wrong.
One little problem, both Jenghis & Kublai Kahn were Mongols.
My vote goes for Huang Di.
It must be Chair Mao.He was the first product of combination of the modern communist propoganda technology and traditional Confusion-style propoganda theory, wasn’t he? Even after his death, his main political enemies, who arrested his nephew and his wife after he died, feared to despise him. Oh, he was so loved and by chinese. Especially to those who couldn’t read and write in rural place, Chair Mao is more of a god than a great man.
People were worshipping Chairman Mao.
The most important man in shaping Chinese history is Shang Yang.
Were? As far as I can tell, they still worship him.
Qublai Quan is another way of spelling Kublai Khan, is closer [phonetically] to the Mongol pronunciation [thety have no ‘K’]
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