Supporters of China’s late party chairman Mao Zedong mark 50 years since his death

Wednesday marks the 50th anniversary of the death of Mao Zedong, founding father of the People’s Republic of China. Chinese authorities did not announce any plans to mark the date, as former state leaders are usually commemorated on their birth anniversaries. The only exception was at the Chairman Mao Memorial Hall in Beijing, which opened for an extra three hours on Wednesday. Supporters also gathered to pay tribute in his hometown Shaoshan, in central Hunan province.