Mao Zedong’s Deep Connection With “September 9th”

September 9 is a significant date in Mao Zedong’s life, marking various pivotal moments from military uprisings to his death. This day is closely intertwined with his political career and China’s history.

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Author | Communist Party Member Network

September 9 is indeed a special day for Mao Zedong.

On this special day, let’s recall six important “September 9ths” in Mao Zedong’s life and appreciate his deep connection with this date.

September 9, 1927

On this day, the Autumn Harvest Uprising led by Mao Zedong broke out.

Prior to this, he was already a politician, but from this day, he picked up a gun, marking the beginning of his journey as a military leader.

He was also a poet before this, but from this day, poet Mao Zedong acquired a new poetic quality, as writing poetry with a gun in hand meant rhyming with gunfire.

It was also on September 9 that Mao Zedong faced his only capture in his life. While passing through Zhangjiafang in Liuyang, he was captured by the local anti-bandit team. On the way to the team’s headquarters, Mao Zedong cleverly escaped, hiding in a dense grass by a pond until dusk, narrowly avoiding capture.

September 9, 1945

On this day, Mao Zedong met with Guo Moruo, who would later become a close poetic friend.

In their conversation, Mao Zedong famously said, “The future is bright, but the road is tortuous.”

The Swiss Omega watch Guo Moruo gifted to Mao Zedong on this day was worn by him until his death.

As Mao Zedong was about to leave Chongqing, he left behind his finest poem, “Ode to the Snow,” and inscribed it in a memorial book at Liu Yazi’s request.

After Mao Zedong’s departure, “Ode to the Snow” stirred a rare cultural storm in Chongqing.

Indeed, four years later on September 9, the “talented individuals” of the time gathered in the ancient capital Beijing (then called Beiping).

September 9, 1949

On this day, Mao Zedong, now in Beijing, was deeply immersed in revising the draft of the “Common Program of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference.” This “Common Program” was, in fact, the “temporary constitution” of the new China about to join the world.

All the previous struggles seemed to be in preparation for the birth of this new nation. It was a dream of countless righteous people since modern times, from Sun Yat-sen’s “Outline of National Construction” to Mao Zedong’s revision of the “Common Program,” marking the historical trajectory from dream to reality.

September 9, 1956

It seems a coincidence that seven years earlier, on this day, Mao Zedong was revising documents concerning the “temporary constitution” of the nation; and seven years later, he was again revising documents, this time the “Political Report” of the 8th National Congress of the Communist Party of China.

In those seven years, progress seemed triumphant. The Communist Party of China transformed a devastated China, once deemed ungovernable by Western reporters, into a vibrant and rejuvenated nation.

By September 1956, it was a season of unusual harvest as the Communist Party’s governance approach was being set in a new direction.

September 9, 1971

On September 9, 1971, this day was anything but vibrant and prosperous for Mao Zedong.

At that time, he was on a southern tour, arriving in Hangzhou at midnight on September 3.

Since 1953, Mao Zedong had visited Hangzhou more than 40 times, staying over 800 days, calling it his “second hometown.” This visit was also intended for an extended stay.

However, on the evening of September 8, he received news that planes were being prepared in Hangzhou and that Mao Zedong’s special train was being accused of “blocking the operation line” at Hangzhou’s Jianqiao Airport. Such a situation had never occurred before.

To prevent any untoward incidents, Mao Zedong decisively ordered his special train to move to Shaoxing, a bit farther from Hangzhou, on September 9.

The decision made on September 9 thwarted the conspiracy by Lin Liguo and others, preventing potentially unimaginable consequences.

September 9, 1976

At 0:10 on September 9, 1976, the great leader of the Chinese people, Mao Zedong, passed away.

From midnight on September 8, he began to use artificial respiratory support, with his blood pressure rising to 180/80.

Around 11 a.m., his heart rhythm became irregular.

By 4 p.m., a nasopharyngeal tube was inserted.

By 8:30 p.m., his consciousness was blurred. Despite intravenous tubes in his limbs, an ECG monitor on his chest, and a nasal feeding tube, Mao Zedong read documents and books 11 times that day, totaling 2 hours and 50 minutes, with each session averaging less than 16 minutes, with others holding the documents and books.

Having dealt with books and documents all his life, Mao Zedong’s last reading was at 4:37 p.m. on September 8.

Seven hours later, just after crossing into September 9, his heart stopped beating.

The life of this great and extraordinary figure was thus marked on this day.