The village of Shaoshan is 130km (80 miles) southwest of Changsha. The small size of the village belies its importance - as the birthplace of chairman Mao Zedong.

During the Cultural Revolution and at the height of the Mao personality cult, more than 3 million "pilgrims" visited the childhood town of the "Great Helmsman". The railway and road links as well as the Museum of Comrade Mao, were all built in this era to support the influx of visitors.

Despite all the tourists, Shaoshan has not lost its quaint pastoral charm - traditional adobe houses are nestled between green hills and lush paddy fields. Visitors can also visit the childhood home of another high-ranking, though admittedly less famous leader, Liu Shaoqi.