Tuesday, 21st November 2006 (3382 views)

The man who ruled China for 30 years, Mao Zedong, is to be immortalised in gold as a seven metre high statue of the leader is renovated.

Located in Changsha in the Hunan province, the statue has been standing since 1967 and will now be coated in 24-carat gold plate to commemorate the 30th anniversary of his death.

The cost of remodelling the 23 foot statue is to be covered by a local pharmaceutical company rather than the council due to residual sensitivity over Mao's dictatorship which caused bouts of famine and extreme poverty.

There is a Chinese saying: "Man wears cloth, the Buddha wears gold". This is thought to be the inspiration for the move.

Other golden exhibits for your delectation include the ongoing display at the American Museum of Natural History which includes Susan Sarandon's gold Oscar statuette as well as gold bars from the Federal Reserve Bank in New York.

Some 78 per cent of gold is used in jewellery and ornaments according to geologist James Webster.

 

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