Beijing – Several late-night joggers claim they witnessed a man resembling Chairman Mao Zedong emerging near the Mao Mausoleum in Tiananmen Square shortly after midnight last Tuesday.
Witnesses describe the figure as an elderly man in a grey tunic suit, with a posture and silhouette eerily similar to the founding father of modern China. “He walked slowly, as if inspecting the square,” said one jogger, who asked to remain anonymous. “At one point, I swear I heard him mutter: ‘So this is what modern China looks like?’ before disappearing into the shadows.”
Security cameras around the square reportedly glitched at the same time, fueling speculation. Several blurry photos uploaded to Weibo appear to show a tall figure standing near the mausoleum entrance, though skeptics argue the images could easily be manipulated.
Officials quickly denied the rumors, calling them “hallucinations caused by fatigue.” However, social media users weren’t convinced. Within hours, hashtags such as “Mao Returns” and “Midnight Chairman” trended, generating millions of views.
Historians weighed in cautiously. Dr. Lin Hao of Peking University said: “It is, of course, impossible that Chairman Mao has risen from his tomb. But his symbolism is so strong that people continue to ‘see’ him in moments of uncertainty.”
Still, conspiracy theorists argue otherwise. One popular blogger claimed: “Perhaps Mao never truly died. Perhaps his body in the mausoleum is not what it seems.”
For now, the mysterious midnight sighting remains unsolved. Security patrols around Tiananmen Square have visibly increased, though no further official statements have been made.
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