Completed in 1977 after the death of Communist China's "Great Helmsman," the Mausoleum of Mao Zedong is rises from the center of Tian'anmen Square, a boxy mashup of traditional Chinese, socialist realist and Western monumental architectural styles. Tourists and locals regularly line up to catch a glimpse of the godfather of the PRC, his embalmed body encased in a glass sarcophagus, on display for all see. Although Mao had requested to be cremated after death, his final wishes were not granted, and a Vietnamese expert (the same man who embalmed Ho Chi Minh) was brought to China to give Mao the eternal treatment--and to help perpetuate the cult of personality that played such a key role in the foundation of the People's Republic.
Controversy remains over whether the body is real or not, but that doesn't stop hordes of visitors from entering the memorial hall.