How Mao Zedong's body was embalmedBEIJING--Days after Communist China's founding father Mao Zedong died 40 years ago the problem of what to do with his corpse was becoming increasingly heated — literally. Mao himself had requested cremation, but powerful officials including his mercurial widow Jiang Qing decided he would join the likes of Vladimir Lenin and Ho Chi Minh in being embalmed and put on display. "No one expected that Chairman Mao would die, so there were no preparations at all," said Xie, now 75, who said he then felt "quite proud" to be involved in preserving the Great Helmsman's body. Senior leaders arrived day and night to bow before the body, adding to the seven-strong refrigeration team's tensions. Eight days after arriving at the Great Hall, Xie's work was declared complete.

Source: The China Post September 11, 2016 17:26 UTC