Restaurants cash in on Mao鈥檚 legacy
Print Edition
It was lunchtime when Tang Ruiren, 88, in a traditional red Chinese dress and high heels, walked up to a stage in the front of a restaurant and addressed the crowd.
鈥淵ou are guests to Chairman Mao鈥檚 hometown, thank you for coming here,鈥 Tang said. She then went on to tell stories of Chairman Mao Zedong in the city of Shaoshan, his hometown in central China鈥檚 Hunan Province.
Tang is the founder of Maojia Restaurant, literally meaning 鈥渢he restaurant of the Maos.鈥 Over the years, the Shaoshan-based eatery has set up more than 300 franchises across China and sells some of the dishes claimed to be favorites of Chairman Mao.
Its Shaoshan location is a popular place for tourists to Mao鈥檚 hometown. The store has a life-size golden Mao sculpture, and Mao鈥檚 portrait and poems hang in frames around the eatery.
Adding to the Mao theme is Tang herself, who tells Mao鈥檚 stories and recites his classical works for her guests each and every day.
In 2017, the city of Shaoshan saw around 20.5 million visitors, bringing in more than 6 billion yuan (US$864 million).
Tang partly attributed the restaurant鈥檚 success to the country鈥檚 reform and opening-up that started four decades ago. 鈥淚t is a policy that has brought prosperity for the country and the people,鈥 Tang said. In 1984, Tang began to sell food, secretly, as people in business were considered selfish and profit-driven back when China began its reform and opening-up.
Her first business venture was selling porridge to tourists outside of Chairman Mao鈥檚 residence, but she only dared sell to visitors. Whenever a fellow villager was nearby, she hid behind a tree.
She forgot how much she earned that day, but the remarks of one visitor struck her. 鈥淗e told me 鈥榠t is good to earn money and support yourself.鈥欌 As a result, she carried on, and her business grew bigger. In 1987, she opened the Maojia Restaurant. The restaurant began selling pre-packaged food in 2008, including red-braised pork and fire baked fish. The products are now available on online platforms such as Tmall and JD.com.
鈥淭he success of the Maojia Restaurant has inspired many villagers here,鈥 said Mao Yushi, first secretary of Shaoshan Village CPC committee. 鈥淢any people also started businesses of their own.鈥
Restaurants and guesthouses have sprung up due to the booming tourism. More people have started selling fruit online and offering bed and breakfast services for tourists. The village鈥檚 per capita disposable income has reached nearly 24,000 yuan in 2017, almost 300 times that of 1978.
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