Wen Qimei
文素勤
Born12 February 1867
Xiangxiang, Hunan, Qing Empire
Died5 October 1919(1919-10-05) (aged 52)
Shaoshan, Hunan, Republic of China
OccupationFarm labourer
SpouseMao Yichang
ChildrenMao Zedong
Mao Zemin
Mao Zetan
Mao Zejian (adopted)
Wen Suqin
Wen Suqin
Chinese文素勤
Literal meaning文 (Wén, surname)
Wen Qimei
Chinese文七妹
Wen Qimei
Chinese文其美

Wen Qimei (12 February 1867 – 5 October 1919;[1] born Wen Suqin) was the mother of Mao Zedong.

Life

Wen was born in 1867 in the valley of Sidutaiping, in Xiangxiang county of Hunan. Her father, Wen Qifu, was a poor shoemaker who was a heavy drinker. Her mother was a 14 year old concubine of Qifu's when she was born. She had two brothers and two sisters and attended the local Buddhist nunnery for education until she was 10. Her father would beat her mother, so they fled to Shaoshan, Hunan. There, Suqin's mother remarried a 60 years old landowner, which was quite unusual in mainland China at that time. Suqin attended a Baptist school there and passed with honors. At the age of 13, her stepfather arranged her marriage to 10 year old Mao Yichang, who came from a long line of peasants. At the age of 26, Suqin gave birth to Mao Zedong.

After the birth of Mao Zedong, his parents were presented with a rooster, as was the local custom.[2] Wen was concerned for her baby's health, having had two sons previously died in infancy. She took the baby to see a Buddhist monk who was living in the mountains, and asked the monk to take care of him. The monk refused, believing that baby Zedong appeared healthy.[2] From there, she traveled to her father's house in a neighboring district, along the way stopping at a temple devoted to the bodhisattva Guan Yin, where she prayed that the deity would become Zedong's foster mother.[2]

She died of lymphatic cancer on October 5, 1919.[1][3]

References

Footnotes

  1. 1 2 Zhang, Chunhou; Vaughan, C. Edwin (2002). Mao Zedong as Poet and Revolutionary Leader: Social and Historical Perspectives. Lexington Books. p. 9. ISBN 978-0-7391-0406-4.
  2. 1 2 3 Pantsov & Levine 2012, p. 14
  3. ↑ Michael J. Lynch (2004). Mao. Psychology Press. ISBN 9780415215770.

Bibliography

  • Chang, Jung; Halliday, Jon (2005). Mao: The Unknown Story. London: Jonathan Cape. ISBN 978-0-224-07126-0.
  • Feigon, Lee (2002). Mao: A Reinterpretation. Chicago: Ivan R. Dee. ISBN 978-1-56663-458-8.
  • Hollingworth, Clare (1985). Mao and the Men Against Him. London: Jonathan Cape. ISBN 0224017608.
  • Pantsov, Alexander V.; Levine, Steven I. (2012). Mao: The Real Story. New York and London: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 978-1-4516-5447-9.
  • Terrill, Ross (1980). Mao: A Biography. New York City: Simon and Schuster. ISBN 978-0-06-014243-8.
  • Snow, Edgar (1961) [1937]. Red Star Over China. New York City.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)


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