A village holds on to communism

In Nanjie, China, giant portraits of communist heroes adorn the place

NANJIE: In Nanjie, every day is a “red” day. In the early morning light, cyclists head to “Red East” square, inaugurated in 1993 to mark the centenary of Mao's birth.

A white marble statue of the Great Helmsman, watched over by two young guards, dominates the plaza.    Giant portraits of the heroes of communism — Marx, Engels, Lenin, Stalin — adorn the square. Dozens of red flags wave in the wind. 

Although more than 30 years have passed since the death of Mao, time seems to have stopped in Nanjie, a village of 3,500 people — 500 of them members of the Communist Party — in the poor central province of Henan.   

While the rest of the country has embraced capitalism, long-time local party secretary Wang Hongbin has remained loyal to the communist ideal of a collective economy.  

As the country's 1.3 billion people grapple with escalating school fees, medical bills and housing costs, Wang says the residents of Nanjie are carefree — and taken care of.    “Our village does not have these three problems because we are following the path of collective enterprise and common service,” says the 56-year-old bureaucrat, whose office is full of Chairman Mao memorabilia.   

Nanjie is home to about 20 local businesses, including an instant noodle factory that sells its products nationwide. All of them are controlled by local authorities. Villagers receive about 30 percent of their wages in actual salary. The rest comes in the form of benefits: free food, housing, health care and education. Residents do not have many belongings. There are few cars on the road.   

“As common people, we have only one thing to do — listen to the party leadership and do whatever they say,”said 72-year-old resident Huang Zunxian. 

The town may be communist in structure and spirit, but the benefits of capitalism are not totally foreign — Nanjie has become somewhat of a star attraction on China's “red” tourism map.    

Authorities have set up a sightseeing path for tourists: tiny electric cars take them through fields and industrial zones and into a botanical garden.

“Most of the other red tourism spots in China have a place in history, but Nanjie is a living example of all that,” Wang says.