The story of chairman Mao

1June, 959, President Mao Zedong returned to Shaoshanchong, Xiangtan City, Hunan Province, his hometown after 32 years' absence. This is the first time he has returned to his hometown since he took part in the revolution. Shaoshan is boiling because of his return. When Mao Zedong arrived in Shaoshan, it was already dark. At 5 o'clock the next morning, he walked out of his residence. Hou Bo doesn't know where the chairman is going. She followed the chairman with her camera on her back. On the top of a hill, the chairman came to his parents' grave and bowed (see Photo Biography of Mao Zedong, page 238, taken by Hou Bo). Unprepared, the entourage quickly broke off a branch from the cypress tree next to it and offered it to the grave of the chairman's parents. After the silence, the chairman made a wish to his parents: I will come back to see you again when I have the chance.

On the way down the mountain, there was a sea of people in front of the chairman's former residence. He went to his old neighbor's house first. He handed a cigarette to his old neighbor, and at the same time chatted cordially with the villagers in the dialect that had not changed for many years.

Hou Bo stood outside the door and photographed this joyful moment.

This photo truly reflects the deep friendship between Mao Zedong and the villagers. This made Hou Bo realize that taking photos of leaders should not only show their great temperament, but also show their true feelings. Such photos are authentic and touching (see Biography of Mao Zedong, page 428, taken by Hou Bo).

"Come on, let's take a picture together."

During the period of 1949, Mao Zedong took a rest and worked in Shuangqing Mountain Villa in Xiangshan, Beijing, and met guests at home and abroad. One day in May, I received the task assigned by the organization and went to Xiangshan to assist Xu in completing the photography work of the chairman meeting foreign guests. At that time, Hou Bo's work unit was still in Beiping Film Studio, and the Central Committee called him to inform him of something, and sometimes he came to pick him up. After the meeting, after the guests left, Hou Bo packed his machinery and prepared to leave. At this time, the chairman turned to greet them to sit down. He knew Xu when he was in Yan 'an, but he never met him. Xu Xiaobing introduced Hou Bo to the chairman: "This is my lover." The chairman asked Hou Bo where his hometown was, and Hou Bo replied, "Xia County, Shaanxi Province." The chairman said, "Oh! It's from Guan Yunchang! Chen Geng has won several great victories in your hometown! When did you arrive in Yanan? " Hou Bo replied again, 1939. The chairman said, "You grew up eating millet from northern Shaanxi, so you should serve the people well. "

The chairman's witty words relaxed Hou Bo's nervous psychology. She didn't expect the chairman to be so approachable and humorous. Considering that it won't take up the chairman's time too much, Hou Bo got up and said goodbye to the chairman, but Hou Bo always wanted to take a photo with him. Unexpectedly, the chairman stood up and said, "Come, let's take a group photo together." Xinhua News Agency reporter Zhengqing Chen, who accompanied Hou Bo and his party, raised his camera and asked Mr. and Mrs. Hou Bo to take a photo with the chairman. And Xu stood on both sides of the chairman. At this time, the chairman shook his head and said, "No, lesbians hold up half the sky and should stand in the middle." The chairman stood imperiously on Hou Bo's left. Zhengqing Chen pressed the shutter, and this precious photo was born.

For a long time, Hou Bo treasured this photo and didn't take it out. It was not made public until later. Many people saw the photos and asked Hou Bo curiously, "Should the chairman stand in the middle?" Every time, Hou Bo will introduce the situation at that time. This is also the first time that Hou Bo has met with the Chairman. She didn't expect that she was later transferred to Zhongnanhai. Later, the chairman's activities increased. Considering that the activities of the chairman and the central leaders should be recorded by photos, Zhongnanhai needs a full-time photographer, and Hou Bo was transferred to Zhongnanhai. When he was transferred, Hou Bo was the director of photography department of Beiping Film Studio. After arriving in Zhongnanhai, she was also the head of the photography department. In fact, she is the only one. Later, after a long time, the chairman asked, "What do you call a section chief Hou?" ? Don't be so long. "Until now, people around the President have always called her" Hou ".

"Nanjing Liberation" is suspected of "posing"

1April, 949, Xu and the staff around Chairman lived in Xiangshan. One morning, the chairman came out of the room, and the secretary came over and handed him an extra copy of People's Daily, saying, "Chairman, Nanjing Liberation Newspaper is out!" " Chairman Mao took the newspaper and read it while walking. At this time, Xu picked up the camera, but he couldn't photograph the chairman's face, so he had to wait patiently. After reading for a while, the chairman saw a stool beside him, sat down conveniently and continued reading with a newspaper in his hand. Afraid of influencing the chairman to read the newspaper, Xu quietly followed the chairman. When the chairman saw the front page of the newspaper, the headline "Nanjing Liberation" stood out. Xu pressed the shutter, leaving an eternal moment in history.

Chairman Mao's "The People's Liberation Army Occupy Nanjing" was completed at this time;

Zhongshan is windy and rainy, and millions of heroes cross the river.

The distance between the tiger and the dragon plate is better than in the past, turned upside down and natural and graceful.

It is advisable to chase after the poor bandits with the remaining courage, not to learn from the overlord.

If the sky is sentimental, it will grow old, and the right way in the world is vicissitudes.

Today, Xu fondly recalls the past: "I took a lot of photos of Chairman Mao in Xiangshan. The most meaningful thing for me is that he carefully read the historical footage outside Nanjing's liberation." Ironically, many photographers think that this photo is "posed" and regard it as a typical pose. Xu smiled and said, "We are engaged in news and taking photos of leaders. How dare we be at the mercy of others! "

The chairman swam across the Yangtze River.

There is a swimming pool in Zhongnanhai, but the chairman is not interested in it. Comparatively speaking, he prefers swimming in rivers, lakes and seas. He has a special affection for the rivers in China. 1956 in may, the chairman came to Wuhan from Guangzhou via Changsha and wanted to go swimming in the Yangtze river. Wang, secretary of Hubei Provincial Party Committee, was worried that there were many eddies and schistosomiasis in the river ... However, he failed to convince the chairman for various reasons. As long as he makes up his mind, it's no use persuading anyone. Wang had to organize a few people to try to swim in the Yangtze River first, but he felt that the whirlpool was not strong enough, so he could rest assured after swimming.

That afternoon, accompanied by Yang, Wang and others, Chairman Mao came to the foot of Snake Mountain and got into the water at the pier of Wuhan Yangtze River Bridge. Everyone in the factory came out. As soon as the chairman got into the water, people ran to the shore for fear of an accident. But the chairman is particularly confident. He swims in various postures, such as butterfly, breaststroke, backstroke and even standing in the water. Hou Bo has prepared a camera and film, but she is afraid to go into the water, so she can only shoot on the boat. While she was changing the film, the boat flashed and the carton containing the film fell into the water. At this moment, the chairman just swam over. He grabbed the box, stood in the water, opened the carton and read the English instructions while reading it. Unfortunately, Hou Bo was loading film and didn't take this scene.

The chairman swam all the way to Danchi near Hankou before landing. He swam more than 30 kilometers in more than two hours. Later, he wrote the famous "Swimming with Water and Eyes" to describe this kind of swimming:

Just drink Changsha water,

Eating Wuchang fish again.

Crossing the Yangtze River,

Looking at Google on a surface.

No matter how stormy it is,

It's better than walking around,

What a relief today.

Son in sichuan yue:

The deceased is like a husband.

……

Speaking of the story behind the chairman's photo, two old people in Kan Kan talked about it. Their thinking is very clear, and they remember everything with the chairman. The photos taken by Mr. and Mrs. Xu for the chairman vividly show the great man's open-minded bearing and natural demeanor, which amazed many people. In fact, the experience of taking pictures of the chairman for many years has made them know that the chairman doesn't like taking pictures, and his personal photos are taken when the chairman is not paying attention. The chairman said more than once, don't just aim the camera at me, but aim more at the masses. Contact with the chairman, their biggest feeling is that the chairman especially likes to be close to the masses. During this year, he spent nearly half his time inspecting all parts of the country. During the inspection, he often walked into the farmhouse and asked about their lives and crops. He talked with the masses and really cared about their sufferings. ...

The sun set in the west, and the room gradually darkened. More than three hours have passed, and Tan Xing is still strong. 1 10 anniversary chairman's birthday, and frequently invited two old people to attend various activities. These days, they are very hard, but they are still full of energy and patience. As the staff who once lived beside the chairman, at this moment, they and the cameras in their hands are all witnesses of history.