BEIJING – Photos of Mao's archenemy Chiang Kai-shek adorn the walls of a Beijing restaurant, and his face looks up at diners from the menu. Online, the deposed Chinese leader's image is used to sell the kinds of lamps and swords he might have used. A liquor brand has patterned its bottle on Chiang's memorial in Taipei.
Twenty years ago, Chiang was considered an enemy of the people on mainland China. Today, he has become part of mainstream culture — sort of.
There has been a grudging acceptance of Chiang's historical role in fighting against Japan following its invasion in the lead-up to World War II. Chiang later lost to Mao Zedong's Communists in the Chinese civil war and fled in 1949 to Taiwan, where he ruled until his death in 1975.
Read Full Article »