Society

Badge of honor in the New China

By Zhu Linyong (China Daily)
Updated: 2011-06-25 08:50

Zhao Buchang's 5,000-square-meter museum houses more than 350,000 badges. Photos by Jiang Dong / China Daily

Editor's note: As the Communist Party of China celebrates its 90th birthday, China Daily reporter Zhu Linyong writes about a new museum in Heze, Shandong province, that features a cultural artifact from its history.

When Zhao Buchang served as a barefoot, volunteer doctor in Altay, the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, in the early 1960s, he forged a close relationship with the local herding communities, thanks to his superb medical skills.

"The Kazak people often gave me their cherished Chairman Mao Zedong (1893-1976) badges to express their gratitude. ... Then I began my 'red collection'," recalled the 73-year-old, who stayed in Xinjiang for 17 years.

Zhao, an admirer of Chairman Mao's revolutionary merits and military and political wisdom, has built the largest collection of Mao badges in the world.

Over the past decades, the physician-turned-entrepreneur has poured millions into his "red collection" - vintage badges and a great variety of items with images of the late Chinese leader.

So far, Zhao has accumulated more than 1.2 million vintage badges and pins bearing Mao's image, traveling extensively in different parts of the country in his spare time.

But, "it's worth it. ... The Chairman Mao badges are souvenirs, artworks and modern relics at the same time. I believe they have strong historical significance," he said.

Last weekend, Zhao opened the Chairman Mao Badges Museum in Heze, eastern Shandong province, sharing with the public his passion for Chairman Mao.

The 5,000-square-meter museum, constructed with an investment of about 120 million yuan ($18.5 million), houses more than 350,000 badges selected from Zhao's private collection.