March 22, Day 1 – LeiFeng 雷锋 Museum,

 

When I studied in elementary school, there was a famous soldier, LeiFeng (Chinese: 雷锋; pinyin: Léi Fēng) (18 December 1940 – 15 August 1962), who lived only ten miles away. Every spring, we went to his museum to pay a visit at his statue and recited Chairman Mao’s writing about him. You may wonder who this guy is and why the country, especially the children, still look him as a role model.
When he was alive, no one knew who he was. After his death, Lei was characterized as a selfless and modest person who was devoted to the Communist Party, Chairman Mao Zedong, and the people of China. In 1963, he became the subject of a nationwide posthumous propaganda campaign, "Follow the examples of Comrade Lei Feng" (向雷锋同志学习). Lei was portrayed as a model citizen, and the masses were encouraged to emulate his selflessness, modesty, and devotion to Mao. After Mao's death, Lei Feng remained a cultural icon representing earnestness and service; his name entered daily speech and his imagery appeared on t-shirts and memorabilia.