Between 1943 and 1969, communist China was ruled by a respected and forceful leader, Chairman Mao Zedong.
Known by most simply as Chairman Mao, the leader single-handedly kickstarted contemporary China. While some has praised Mao for his visions of grandeur, others have criticized his leadership as a dictatorship on par with the likes of Stalin or Hitler, most notably for his Great Leap Forward plan to modernize China.
This September will mark the 40th anniversary of Mao's death. To honor the late chairman, villagers in Henan province have started construction on a commemorative statue.
It's big, to say the least.
The statue will reach nearly 120 feet tall. It's made of concrete and steel, and then finished with a coat of gold paint.
The total cost came to around $450,000.
According to Liu Jianwu, who researches Chinese history, Mao represents fairness and justice to the Chinese people.
"So people hold these kinds of emotions towards him," Liu told The Guardian.
Not everyone is in love with the gesture.
While China is rising as an undeniable force in the global economy, many areas are still stricken with poverty. According to the Hong Kong Free Press, some may see the statue as a waste of precious resources.
"How about using the money for poverty alleviation first?" one commenter on the Chinese social networking platform Sina Weibo asked. "Besides, it's so ugly — doesn't look a bit like [Mao]."
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