Almost 30 years after his death, Mao remains the sacred symbol that China dare not touch. His massive portrait still looms above the entrance to the Forbidden City.

Real or not? Mao at a glance Born: Dec. 26, 1893 Died: Sept. 9, 1976 Communist leader Mao Zedong led the overthrow of Chiang Kai-Shek in 1949 and the founding of the People's Republic of China.

Mao Zedong was the Chairman of the Chinese Communist Party from 1935 until his death in 1976. His theories, military strategies, and political policies are collectively known as Maoism.

The post also included archival footage of Mao Zedong, who founded the People’s Republic of China, speaking in 1953 when the U.S. and China were on opposite sides of the Korean War.

Chinese President Xi Jinping used a speech remembering Mao Zedong to push a framework the current leader rolled out recently to counter the West’s capitalist model. The “central task” of the ...

Almost 30 years after his death, Mao remains the sacred symbol that China dare not touch. His massive portrait still looms above the entrance to the Forbidden City.