Making of ‘Mao Swimming in the Yangtze’ (by Qian Sije, 1966), 2016

The story behind the photograph…

On 1 October 1949, Mao Zedong, leader of the Chinese Communist Party, proclaimed the founding of the People’s Republic of China. For decades he wielded unlimited power, aggressively suppressing any dissent and launching the ‘Great Leap Forward’ in which sweeping changes were made to Chinese society. By 1966, the 72-year-old Mao was beginning to consider the future and the legacy he would leave behind. In July of that year, he therefore decided to show the world that he was in robust health and fit for any challenges that lay ahead. In what became the most powerful publicity stunt in Chinese history, he entered the Yangtze River at Wuhan, surrounded by bodyguards, and was reported to have led thousands of followers in a swim. The picture of that scene, taken by Qian Sije, turned out to be a propaganda coup, reinvigorating the image of the leader and tightening his grip on power.