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 Mao Zedong (1893 – 1976)
Born in Hunan province, the son of a prosperous peasant, Mao Zedong or Mao Tse-Tung, is regarded as one of the most influential figures of the 20th Century. A founding member of the Chinese Communist Party, Mao believed that only the peasant majority could succeed in driving a communist revolution in China. Mao actively campaigned and recruited in the countryside, eventually leading a successful peasant revolt and overthrowing the nationalist Kuomintang party. The People’s Republic of China was established in 1949 and remained under Chairman Mao’s rule until his death in 1976. Supporters claim that the rise of China is attributable to Mao’s leadership while critics argue that his initiatives, including the Cultural Revolution, caused the mass starvation and repression of millions, damaging China’s society and economy.
Either way, there is no disputing that Mao’s influence lives on in 21st Century China. |
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 Chinese cuisine has a long history, and is one of the country’s most famous exports to the world. ‘Chi fan le ma?’ which translates to ‘Have you eaten yet?’ is a form of greeting and said perhaps almost as readily as we say ‘How are you’. It is this Chinese phrase that perhaps illustrates where traditional priorities lie.
Food, pure, simple and not so simple. Chinese cuisine falls into four major regional categories: Cantonese (Guandong), Shandong, Szechuan (Sichuan) and Huaiyang. To these four, can be added four more: Hunan, Fujian, Anhui and Zhejiang. Sometimes, Beijing and Shanghai cuisine are also counted. The variety and style of cooking in China is amazing, as are the ingredients. Every conceivable type and cut of meat is used including offal, and seafood is highly recommended. Vegetables feature in all dishes and fruit usually forms the very last course of a banquet. Indeed, vegetarians are for the most part, well catered for.
Chinese specialities include the famous Peking Duck, typically served with wafer-thin pancakes, shallots and bean paste, as well as numerous ‘hot and spicy’ and ‘sweet and sour’ dishes, light stir-fries, crispy skin roasted meats, as well as rice, dumplings and noodles. The Chinese excel at noodle-based dishes. They appear in soups, are served boiled, fried and crispy, and choices include short, long, fat or thin.
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