Hunan Marks Mao Zedong's 121st Birthday

People enjoy longevity noodles.

　　Traditional celebrations like eating noodles and singing "The East is Red" by tens of thousands of people were held in Shaoshan, birth place of Mao Zedong, on December 26, 2014 to celebrate the 121st birthday of the late Chinese leader.

　　Before dawn, Shaoshan people hustled to prepare birthday noodles that indicate happiness and longevity for international and domestic tourists and people who arrived there to pay tribute to Mao Zedong.

　　Different from previous years, longevity noodles were available since 9 p.m. on December 25. Smiling faces were seen at tables placed into the shape of "121" outside the live-action performance site of "From China Arises Mao Zedong".

　　After having the birthday noodles, people came from far and wide to Mao Zedong Square, offering flower bouquets in front of Mao Zedong's statue and singing the Maoist anthem "The East is Red" in chorus.

　 　　Translator: Liu Fen