Mao museum helps keep legacy alive

Zhang Deben, a farmer in Xi'an, capital of Shaanxi province, is an avowed admirer of Mao Zedong and an avid collector of Mao memorabilia, which he has been searching out since his early teens.

Zhang, 62, is also the founder and owner of the Mao Zedong Exhibition Hall at No 68 Changming Road in Xi'an, which honors the memory of the late chairman and China's other Communist pioneers.

The farmer has spent more than 10 million yuan ($1.6 million) on the 5,000-square-meter museum, which boasts more than 300,000 exhibits. These include Mao memorabilia badges, copies of his quotations and mugs with the former leader's image.