Liu started collecting Mao badges in 1972, when Mao was still alive and at the pinnacle of his prestige.

A private collector in Pingtan county, Fujian province, is set to show his collection of 5,000 items related to Mao Zedong at the Pingtan County Library from Dec 26 to 29.

The items include badges, publications, statues, calligraphy and paintings which Liu Yongqin has amassed over the past four decades.

Liu, a member of the Fujian Collectors' Association and a PLA veteran, said he decided to display his collection to commemorate the 120th anniversary of the birth of the Chinese leader who had a strong influence on his life.

He started collecting Mao badges in 1972, when Mao was still alive and at the pinnacle of his prestige. Liu now owns more than 2,000 badges that are displayed in his home, along with various publications and souvenirs of the Cultural Revolution (1966-76).

One of the most valuable items is a Mao badge that is said to be made of metal from an enemy fighter jet downed by the Chinese army during the Korean War (1959-1953).

Liu said that he once had an offer of 230,000 yuan ($37,881) for the badge, but he turned it down without hesitation.

Now in his sixties, Liu said that every item has a history and his greatest wish is to open a Mao Zedong Souvenir Museum.

He also said that "Mao was the leader at the time of the revolution" and that he hopes his collection has some educational value for the new generation, and that it will help them understand that they must appreciate their "happy lives". He also said that he hopes that people who share his views will work with him to open a museum.

Edited by Chen Zhilin and Niva Whyman