ZHENGZHOU (Web Desk) – A 37m-high (120ft) gold-painted statue of Chairman Mao has been built in China’s Henan province.
The giant homage to the late communist leader was paid for by local businessmen, who spent nearly 3 million yuan ($460,000; £313,000).
Some villagers also contributed money to the project, according to The People’s Daily.
The enormous figure has reportedly taken nine months to build, and is almost completed.
Villagers in the area have praised the statue and taken great pride in erecting it, but some people from the online community are confused by it, others think this statue is not the way to show respect.
The giant sits in farmland in Tongxu county, Henan, which was the centre of a famine in the 1950s resulting from Mao’s policies.
Millions of people allegedly died in the famine triggered by the campaign, known as the Great Leap Forward.
Despite being responsible for so many deaths, Mao Zedong is revered by many in China, not least by President Xi Jinping, who praises him as a “great figure”.
President Xi has also attempted to centralise power in China’s presidency, and has used Mao’s legacy to build support, while admitting the former leader made “mistakes”.
