A statue of Mao Zedong located in Lijiang, Yunnan Province, was photographed in 2000. Statues of this kind were frequently installed during the late 1960s and early 1970s, when Mao’s image was prominently displayed in public spaces across China.

The statue was erected to assert political authority and ideological unity, serving as a visible reminder of state leadership. By the time this photograph was made, the figure had become a fixed and familiar element of the urban landscape, embedded in daily life rather than in active political ritual.