Mao Zedong and His Family Legacy
Author:
blog@pptrace.com
2025-02-02
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Mao Zedong (1893–1976), one of the founding members of the Chinese Communist Party and the founder of the People's Republic of China, was deeply influenced by his family. His father, Mao Yichang, was pragmatic and hardworking, while his mother, Wen Suqin, was kind and nurturing, shaping Mao’s resilient character. His younger brothers, Mao Zetan and Mao Zemin, also dedicated themselves to the revolution, making significant contributions in battle and finance before sacrificing their lives.
Mao’s family life was filled with legendary stories. His first wife, Luo Yixiu, passed away early, leaving little time for their marriage. Later, he and Yang Kaihui fell in love and had three sons: Mao Anying, Mao Anqing, and Mao Anlong. However, Yang Kaihui was executed by the Kuomintang for refusing to renounce Mao. His second wife, He Zizhen, accompanied him through the struggles of the Jinggangshan base and bore several children, including Li Min. After suffering injuries during the Long March, their relationship gradually drifted apart. In the later years of the war, Jiang Qing entered Mao’s life, and they had a daughter, Li Na.
Mao Zedong’s children inherited both the glory and the tragedies of their revolutionary lineage. Mao Anying died in the Korean War, Mao Anqing struggled with health issues due to wartime trauma, and Li Min and Li Na lived relatively ordinary lives. The descendants of the Mao family have faced many challenges in the tides of history, reflecting the hardships and faith of a revolutionary family. This blog is dedicated to uncovering the true stories of Mao Zedong’s family and exploring their footprints in China's historical journey.
Mao’s family life was filled with legendary stories. His first wife, Luo Yixiu, passed away early, leaving little time for their marriage. Later, he and Yang Kaihui fell in love and had three sons: Mao Anying, Mao Anqing, and Mao Anlong. However, Yang Kaihui was executed by the Kuomintang for refusing to renounce Mao. His second wife, He Zizhen, accompanied him through the struggles of the Jinggangshan base and bore several children, including Li Min. After suffering injuries during the Long March, their relationship gradually drifted apart. In the later years of the war, Jiang Qing entered Mao’s life, and they had a daughter, Li Na.
Mao Zedong’s children inherited both the glory and the tragedies of their revolutionary lineage. Mao Anying died in the Korean War, Mao Anqing struggled with health issues due to wartime trauma, and Li Min and Li Na lived relatively ordinary lives. The descendants of the Mao family have faced many challenges in the tides of history, reflecting the hardships and faith of a revolutionary family. This blog is dedicated to uncovering the true stories of Mao Zedong’s family and exploring their footprints in China's historical journey.
Mao Zedong
Mao Zedong, also known as Chairman Mao, was a Chinese politician, revolutionary, and political theorist who founded the People's Republic of China (PRC) and led the country from its establishment in 1949 until his death in 1976. Mao served as the chairman of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) from 1943 until his death, and as the party's de facto leader from 1935. His theories, which he advocated as a Chinese adaptation of Marxism–Leninism, are known as Maoism.
Mao Yichang
Mao Yichang or Mao Rensheng was a Chinese farmer and grain merchant who achieved notability as the father of Mao Zedong. The nineteenth generation of the Mao clan, he was born and lived his life in the rural village of Shaoshanchong in Shaoshan, Hunan Province.
Wen Qimei
Wen Qimei was the mother of Mao Zedong.
Yang Kaihui
Yang Kaihui was the second wife of Mao Zedong, whom he married in 1920. She had three children with Mao Zedong: Mao Anying, Mao Anqing and Mao Anlong. Her father was Yang Changji, the head of the Hunan First Normal School and one of Mao's favorite teachers. She was a distant cousin to Yang Youlin, another instrumental member of the Chinese Communist Party.
Luo Yixiu
Luo Yixiu, a Han Chinese woman, was the first wife of the later Chinese communist revolutionary and political leader Mao Zedong, to whom she was married from 1908 until her death. Coming from the area around Shaoshan, Hunan, in south central China – the same region as Mao – her family were impoverished local landowners.
He Zizhen
He Zizhen was a Chinese soldier, revolutionary, and politician who was the third wife of Chairman Mao Zedong from 1928 to 1937 and participated in the Long March.
Jiang Qing
Jiang Qing, also known as Madame Mao, was a Chinese communist revolutionary, actress, and political figure. She was the fourth wife of Mao Zedong, the Chairman of the Communist Party and Paramount leader of China. Jiang was best known for playing a major role in the Cultural Revolution as the leader of the radical Gang of Four.
Mao Anying
Mao Anying was a Chinese military officer. He was the eldest son of Mao Zedong and Yang Kaihui. Educated in Moscow and a veteran of multiple wars, Mao was killed in action by an air strike during the Korean War.
Mao Anqing
Mao Anqing was the last surviving son of Mao Zedong, Chairman of the Chinese Communist Party. He was the second son of Mao and his wife, Yang Kaihui. He had a mental illness, possibly schizophrenia. He worked as a translator and never became active in politics.
Li Na
Li Na, is the daughter of Mao Zedong and his fourth wife Jiang Qing, and their only child together. Her surname is Li rather than Mao, because her father used the pseudonym "Li Desheng" for a period of time during the Chinese Civil War.
Mao Zemin
Mao Zemin, also using Zhou Bin as his alias, was born in Xiangtan, Hunan province. He was the head of the state bank of the Chinese Soviet Republic in Ruijin and also the Minister of National Economic Department. He was a younger brother of Mao Zedong and joined the Chinese Communist Party early on. During World War II, he was sent to Xinjiang by the Party central committee in 1938. He and Chen Tanqiu were arrested by the warlord Sheng Shicai while at Ürümqi, Xinjiang. Zemin was executed on September 27, 1943.
Mao Zetan
Mao Zetan was a younger brother of Mao Zedong. He joined the Chinese Communist Party in 1923. In 1927, he participated in the Nanchang Uprising, retreating with the Communists to the Jinggang Mountains at its completion.
Yang Changji
Yang Changji was a Chinese educator, philosopher, and writer. After advanced studies in Japan and Europe, he taught at Hunan First Normal University, where he exerted considerable influence on Mao Zedong, Cai Hesen, Xiao Zisheng, and others, and then at Peking University. He became considered one of the leading philosophers of his generation before his early death.
Li Lisan
Li Lisan was a Chinese politician, member of the Politburo, and later a member of the Central Committee.
Fang Zhichun
Fang Zhichun was a People's Republic of China politician. He was a cousin of Fang Zhimin. He was born in Yiyang County, Jiangxi Province. He joined the Chinese Communist Party in 1924 and participated in the Nanchang Uprising of August 1927. In January 1928, along with his cousin and Huang Dao, he organized an uprising in Hengfeng County, Jiangxi Province. In 1937 he went to Yan'an, Shaanxi Province and in 1938 he went to the Soviet Union. After returning to China, he was arrested and imprisoned in Xinjiang by local warlord Sheng Shicai. In June 1946, he married Zhu Danhua, the widow of Mao Zedong's younger brother Mao Zemin, and became the stepfather Mao Zedong's nephew Mao Yuanxin.
Zhou Wennan
Zhou Wennan, also known as Zhou Runfang (周润芳), was a Chinese communist revolutionary and judge who served as the president of the civil tribunal of the higher people's court in Heilongjiang Province. She was the first wife of Mao Zetan, the younger brother of Mao Zedong.
Huang Jing
Huang Jing, born Yu Qiwei, was a Chinese Communist revolutionary and politician who served as Mayor and Communist Party Chief of Tianjin municipality, Minister of the First Ministry of Machine Building, and Chairman of the National Technological Commission. He was an ex-husband of Jiang Qing, who later married Mao Zedong, and the father of Yu Qiangsheng, a top Chinese intelligence officer who defected to the United States in 1985, and Yu Zhengsheng, the fourth-ranked member of the 18th Politburo Standing Committee.
Tang Na
Tang Na, pen name of Ma Jiliang, also known as Ma Jizong and Ma Shaozhang, was a modern Chinese writer and the third husband of Jiang Qing.
Mao Anlong
Mao Anlong was the third son of Mao Zedong and Yang Kaihui.
Yang Yuehua
Yang Yuehua, née Mao Jinhua, was born in Longyan, Fujian, China with family roots in Xiangtan, Hunan, China. She is the elder daughter of Mao Zedong and his third wife He Zizhen. When she was born in 1929, the Chinese Communist Party was being chased by the Kuomintang army and Mao Zedong decided to leave Longyan and abandon his daughter. She was later adopted by a family surnamed Yang, who changed her name to Yang Yuehua.
Liu Siqi
Liu Siqi, also known as Liu Songlin (刘松林), was the wife of Mao Anying, the first son of Mao Zedong.
Li Min
Li Min, original name Mao Jiaojiao, is a former Chinese politician who was the daughter of Mao Zedong and his third wife, He Zizhen. Her surname is Li rather than Mao, because Mao had changed his name to "Li Desheng" for a period of time to prevent himself from being chased by the Kuomintang army during the Chinese Civil War.
Shao Hua
Shao Hua, formerly known as Zhang Shaohua, was a Chinese photographer and a major general in the People's Liberation Army. She was the wife of Mao Anqing, the second son of Mao Zedong.
Mao Yuanxin
Mao Yuanxin, also known as Li Shi, is a former Chinese politician. As the nephew of Chairman Mao Zedong, he acted as the liaison between Mao and the Communist Party's Central Committee in Mao's ailing years, when he was no longer able to regularly attend political functions. He was considered an ally to the radical political faction known as the Gang of Four. He was arrested soon after Mao's death after a political struggle ensued, and was sentenced to prison.
Li Li
Li Li also known as L'i Li-fen is a former international table tennis player from China.
Mao Xinyu
Mao Xinyu is a grandson of Mao Zedong and a major general in the People's Liberation Army (PLA) of the People's Republic of China.
Kong Dongmei
Kong Dongmei is a Chinese entrepreneur. She is the granddaughter of Mao Zedong.
毛泽东 毛岸英 毛岸青 杨开慧 贺子珍 江青 文化大革命 中国党史 国家主席 ALL