That little detail never came up in our tour, but like I said our guide only gave commentary in Chinese. Sad to say, I still have a long way to go before I can understand rapid fire Chinese.

You’re working in Shanghai now? I’m flying in and out of Shanghai this Winter Holiday for my jaunt to the USA.

One issue with this post though, Mao Zedong never spent the last decade of his life in Shaoshan. In fact, I know of only one trip he made back to Hunan and Shaoshan after leaving to start revolution in Jiangsu and later in Yan’an. His visit coincided with the Great Leap Forward, when Hunan and the entire country was starving. His compound in Shaoshan was built for that trip but was used only that once, as far as I know.

Mao died in his special chambers in Zhongnanhai in Beijing.

Interesting that you found Dishuidong, that’s the name of one of the most popular Hunan restaurants here in Shanghai. Now it all makes sense.