Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All China Beijing Chairman Mao Memorial Hall

Chairman Mao Memorial Hall

The embalmed remains of the communist leader lie within a custom crystal coffin.

Beijing, China

Added By
Declan M Martin
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
Mausoleum of Mao Zedong.   Jorge Láscar
  Collector of Experiences / Atlas Obscura User
  Collector of Experiences / Atlas Obscura User
Exterior of the hall.   Cancillería Ecuador
Sculpture of soldiers fighting at entrance to Mausoleum of Mao Zedong.   Daniel Case
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

This stately mausoleum is the final resting place of Mao Zedong, Chairman of the Communist Party of China for three decades until his death in 1976. His embalmed remains lie inside a crystal coffin, despite his wishes to be cremated.

Creating the crystal coffin was no easy task. At the time, the country’s sour relationship with the Soviet Union meant Chinese officials couldn’t tap into any of the Soviet’s well-guarded manufacturing secrets. Instead, the government held a clandestine country-wide competition to create a casket for the Mao, using various code names for the endeavor.

They viewed dozens of submissions before finally settling on the one that holds the mummified communist leader. Each one was put through the ringer as it was tested against variables like temperature, vibration, and its ability to withstand an earthquake.

The building the crystal coffin and its embalmed inhabitant reside in is also impressive, especially considering it was built in only six months. Materials from all across China were used to make it, and 700,000 workers from different provinces, autonomous regions, and nationalities did "symbolic voluntary labor" to get it all finished. Art in and around the hall pays tribute to various revolutionary leaders.

Related Tags

Communism Dictators Death Politics Mummies

Know Before You Go

You will be required show a valid Identification document like a passport or PRC ID card. Foreign objects (bags, cameras, etc) cannot be brought into the hall and must be left in the bag office. Wear modest clothing and be very quiet and respectful, especially in the main chamber. Special occasions may cause the hall to be very busy or closed. The Hall can be accessed by Subway: Subway Line 1: get off at Tiananmen East or Tiananmen West Station, and Chairman Mao Memorial Hall is to the south. Subway Line 2: get off at Qianmen Station, and Chairman Mao Memorial Hall is to the north.

Community Contributors

Added By

declanmar

Edited By

Kerry Wolfe, Collector of Experiences

  • Kerry Wolfe
  • Collector of Experiences

Published

March 16, 2018

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/atlas-obscura-s-guide-to-communist-mummies
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mausoleum_of_Mao_Zedong
  • https://www.travelchinaguide.com/attraction/beijing/tiananmen-square/chairman-mao-mausoleum.htm
Chairman Mao Memorial Hall
Beijing
China
39.902547, 116.397766

Nearby Places

The Fox Tower at Dongbianmen

Beijing, China

miles away

Working People's Cultural Palace

Beijing, China

miles away

Beijing Ancient Architecture Museum / Xiannongtan (Temple of Agriculture)

Beijing, China

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Beijing

Beijing

China

Places 24
Stories 3

Nearby Places

The Fox Tower at Dongbianmen

Beijing, China

miles away

Working People's Cultural Palace

Beijing, China

miles away

Beijing Ancient Architecture Museum / Xiannongtan (Temple of Agriculture)

Beijing, China

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Beijing

Beijing

China

Places 24
Stories 3

Related Places

  • León, Nicaragua

    El Fortín de Acosasco

    This hilltop fort is a dark holdover from one of Latin America's bloodiest dictatorships.

  • A crowd of statues

    Taoyuan, Taiwan

    Garden of the Generalissimos

    A Taiwanese garden teems with the retired statues of the island's former dictator.

  • The mummified remains of the vicar are visible from his glass encased coffin.

    St. Thomas am Blasenstein, Austria

    Luftg'selchter Pfarrer (The Air-Dried Priest)

    In a crypt underneath this church lies a naturally mummified vicar whose story is surrounded by mystery.

  • Yermo, California

    Liberty Sculpture Park

    A collection of anti-communist sculptures stands watch in the Mojave Desert.

  • Site of the First Congress of the Russian Communist Party

    Minsk, Belarus

    Site of the Russian Social-Democratic Workers' First Congress

    The secret meeting held in this building would forever change the world.

  • The memorial to the resistance of São Paulo building which was formerly the headquarters of the secret police

    São Paulo, Brazil

    Memorial da Resistência de São Paulo (Memorial of the Resistance)

    The building that once housed the dictator's secret police is now a museum that documents the history of an oppressive regime and those who fought against it.

  • The barracks.

    Recsk, Hungary

    Recsk National Memorial Park

    For decades, Hungary's Communist Party insisted this gulag had never existed.

  • Walk on glass panels over the exposed mummies.

    Arica, Chile

    Museo de Sitio (In Situ Museum)

    Walk on a glass floor suspended over ancient mummified remains.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.