Mao Zedong: It is difficult to imagine that one of the most powerful men of the twentieth century, who laid the foundations of modern China, had personal habits that would shock the world if revealed today. Mao Zedong, also known in the West as Mao Tse-tung, remains a towering figure in Chinese history. To millions of his countrymen, he was the revolutionary leader who defeated the Nationalists, declared the birth of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, and steered the nation towards becoming a global power. Yet, behind the image of the iron-willed revolutionary and visionary leader was a private life filled with eccentricities, contradictions, and controversies that are almost hard to believe.
Much of what we know about Mao’s private world comes from the memoirs of his personal physician, Dr. Li Zhisui, who spent more than two decades by his side. His book, The Private Life of Chairman Mao, paints a portrait of a man who was both extraordinary and deeply flawed, whose habits, lifestyle, and intimate choices revealed an altogether different side of the leader than the public ever saw.
A Leader Who Never Brushed His Teeth
One of the most bizarre revelations about Mao concerns his complete disregard for oral hygiene. Unlike most people, Mao never used a toothbrush in his entire life. Each morning, instead of brushing, he rinsed his mouth with tea, often chewing the tea leaves to clean his teeth. According to Dr. Li, this routine eventually turned Mao’s teeth a strange greenish color, and his gums began to rot. The condition worsened to the point where pus would form around his teeth, yet Mao stubbornly refused dental treatment.
When advised by doctors to adopt basic hygiene, Mao dismissed their suggestions with a peculiar argument. He reportedly said, “A tiger never brushes its teeth, and its fangs remain sharp.” For him, nature had already provided the example, and he believed that his own teeth would endure in the same way.
A Reluctance to Bathe
If Mao’s dental habits were strange, his attitude towards bathing was no less astonishing. Mao detested taking baths and is said to have gone for long periods without ever washing himself in the conventional sense. What makes this habit particularly ironic is that he was an enthusiastic swimmer.
Swimming was one of Mao’s great passions. He was known to take to rivers and lakes whenever possible, even at an advanced age. But dipping into water for recreation and exercise did not translate into personal cleanliness. In fact, bathing, as understood by most people, was something Mao avoided to the greatest extent possible.
The Yangtze River Spectacle
Perhaps the most famous episode that highlighted Mao’s fascination with swimming was the so-called “Cross-Yangtze Swimming Competition” of 1966. At the age of seventy, Mao decided to demonstrate his vitality to the Chinese people by leading a swim across the mighty Yangtze River.
According to official reports of the time, Mao covered 15 kilometers in just 65 minutes—an achievement that would have required him to move faster than the world’s greatest Olympic swimmers. The state-controlled press proudly declared his success and celebrated his supposed “superhuman energy.” Yet, no video or credible evidence of this feat ever emerged. Many historians now believe the claim was more political theatre than reality, designed to reinforce Mao’s image as a man of indomitable strength even in old age.
Strange Sleeping Patterns
Mao’s daily routine also differed dramatically from ordinary people. He preferred to work through the night, often beginning his meetings and writing sessions when most of China was fast asleep. His sleeping hours came when the rest of the world was starting its day.
Equally unusual was his attachment to his bed. Mao insisted on sleeping only in his own bed, regardless of where he traveled. Whenever he went abroad, his personal bed was transported with him, a symbol of his peculiar comfort demands and deep sense of familiarity with his surroundings.
His Dislike for Toilets
Another unusual aspect of Mao’s personal habits was his rejection of modern toilets. Raised in the countryside of Hunan province, Mao had grown accustomed to relieving himself in fields and open spaces. Even as the leader of a rising superpower, he often preferred to avoid toilets and instead used outdoor settings, accompanied by bodyguards for privacy.
During his historic visit to Moscow in 1949, this peculiarity reportedly became a source of embarrassment. Mao, expecting a grand welcome from the Soviet Union, was instead kept in isolation in a hotel, where meals were delivered to his room repeatedly. Frustrated and insulted by the treatment, Mao allegedly exclaimed in anger that he had not come all the way to Russia just to eat and visit the toilet. The episode highlighted both his pride and his discomfort with unfamiliar practices.
Women, Power, and Controversy
Beyond his personal habits of hygiene, Mao’s private life was also filled with indulgence in women. Similar to the tradition of rulers maintaining harems, Mao often traveled with a group of young women known as the “Cultural Work Troupe.” Their official role was to perform dances and songs for the Chairman’s entertainment. However, according to Dr. Li and other accounts, Mao frequently selected women from this troupe to accompany him privately after the performances.
As he grew older, his appetite for such relationships did not diminish but rather increased. Mao believed, according to Chinese proverbs he often quoted, that intimacy with young women could restore his vitality and masculine power. His physician, aware of the risks of transmitting venereal diseases, attempted to caution him, but Mao ignored all warnings. Tragically, several women who became involved with him later contracted sexually transmitted infections, yet in the political climate of Mao’s China, such associations were perversely seen as an “honor.” Speaking out against Mao, the most powerful man in the country, was simply unthinkable.
The Four Pests Campaign and Its Catastrophic Consequences
While Mao’s personal eccentricities may appear strange, his political decisions often carried grave consequences for millions. Among the most infamous was the “Four Pests Campaign” launched in 1958. The campaign ordered the elimination of four creatures deemed harmful to society: mosquitoes, flies, rats, and sparrows.
The decision to include sparrows proved disastrous. Sparrows, though they consumed grains, also played a critical role in keeping insect populations under control. With sparrows exterminated in massive numbers, locust and insect infestations skyrocketed. Crops across China were destroyed, leading to widespread famine. Historians estimate that more than 15 million people perished from starvation during the crisis, marking one of the darkest tragedies of Mao’s rule.
This episode revealed the dangers of Mao’s authoritarian approach, where grand campaigns were launched without scientific consideration, and questioning the Chairman’s wisdom was impossible.
A Man of Contradictions
Mao Zedong’s life was filled with contradictions. He despised bathing but loved swimming. He glorified the strength of nature yet presided over campaigns that disrupted ecological balance. He rejected the simplest forms of hygiene but demanded absolute discipline from his followers. He spoke of serving the people, yet indulged in luxuries and personal pleasures that few could imagine.
For the Chinese people, Mao remains a complex figure. On one hand, he was the founding father who gave the nation its sovereignty, pride, and global standing. On the other, he was a man whose policies and personal choices caused immense suffering, loss of life, and moral compromises.
The Shadow of Legacy
Even decades after his death in 1976, Mao continues to divide opinion. In China, his image is still revered, his portraits hang in Tiananmen Square, and his role in founding the People’s Republic is celebrated every year on October 1st, National Day. Yet, outside China, historians and observers debate the cost of his leadership.
The revelations from Dr. Li Zhisui’s memoirs ensure that Mao is remembered not just as a political icon but also as a human being with unusual, sometimes troubling habits. They remind us that history’s greatest leaders were not necessarily paragons of personal discipline or morality. Instead, they were complex personalities whose private lives often contrasted sharply with their public personas.
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