Goodmorning!LadiesandGentlemen:
Today,wewillgoandvisitShaoshan,thehometownofChairmanMao.Shaoshanisasmallmountainvillageabout100kmsouthwestofChangsha,thecapitalofHunanprovince,withsomefairlybeautifulsceneryandaoncetypicallyHunanvillageatmosphere,Shaoshanhasbeenirreparablychangedbyhistory.Onthe26thDecember1893,ababywasborninalittlehouseinthisvillage,toarelativelywealthypeasantcouple.ThechildwastogrowuptobecomeChina"sGreatHelmsman,ChairmanMaoZedong,anditwasinthisregionthathespenthischildhoodandyouth,attendingschoolandhelpinghisfatherwithhiswork.
Asthehometownofthegreatmanofthegeneration,nowShaoshanisoneoftheimportanttouristzonesinHunanprovince.ThemajortouristsitesincludingtheFormerresidenceofChairmanMao,MemorialHallofMaoZedong,Water-drippingCaveandStelesForestofMao"sPoems，andsoon.
TheformerresidenceofChairmanMaoisthemostinterestingsite.Enteredthroughacourtyard,thehouseisofasunnyyellow,mudbrickwalls,withanicelythatchedroof,andisfoundonawoodedhillside,abovesomelushpaddyfields.Thereare13andonehalfroomsintheFormerresidence,whichincludeoneandhalfcentralroom,akitchen,adiningroom,threefamilybedroomsandaguestroom.WithintheroomsarevariouspersonaleffectsofMaoandhisparents,aswellasphotosfromMao"slife.
Thisisthecentralroom,itwasusedbytwofamilies:Mao’sfamilyandtheirneighbor.SowesaidthatthereisonlyonehalfofthecentralroombelongstoMao’sfamily.Andthisistherekitchen,whereChairmanMaooftenhelpedhismotherdoingsomehouseworkinhischildhood.GothroughthekitchenwasChairmanMao’sparent"sbedroom,therearetwophotosofChairmanMao’sparentsontheinnerwall,anditwasinthisroomwhereChairmanMaowasborn.
TheDrippingWaterCave,about3kmnorthwestofthevillage,isaverypopulardestination,possiblybecauseofthefactthatMaoallegedlyspent11dayshereintheearlydaysoftheCulturalRevolutionYears(1966-76),contemplatingtheunknown.