A Swimming Lesson

Until the summer of 1966, Mao held back from direct intervention in the increasingly fractious split in the party between revisionists and hardliners. He allowed close comrades, such as Lin Biao, to orchestrate matters while he still maintained a more distanced approach to politics. He was in fact carefully planning his entry into the gathering maelstrom, timed exactly to seize the moment when a commanding figure would be needed to give direction. It was staged with all his old talent for self-promotion. In July 1966, he swam across the Yangzi River at Wuhan, where the 1911 revolution had started 55 years before. From a personal point of view this was an incredible undertaking; Mao was 73 years old and to swim such a distance across a wild river showed stamina, courage, supreme fitness and considerable determination. It was a heroic endeavour which revealed, in physical form, Mao's inner strength and daring. He showed by example that he was still a leader to be reckoned with and had the strength of purpose that others lacked. His audacious feat of endurance was reported nationally and internationally and greatly added to his cult following. People were awed by the vigour of a man who was elderly yet seemed to have powers beyond mere mortals.

The success of this spectacular gesture was especially memorable and meaningful, not just because of Mao's personal endeavour in swimming the river, but also because of the political resonances of the time and place chosen, all of which would have been readily understood by the people. Firstly, the Yangzi is China's most important river; it is the river that bestows life and energy to the people. In choosing it, Mao was associating himself with the quintessence of China and was identifying with the lifeblood of the country itself. Indeed, by swimming across the river, and conquering its currents, he was not only demonstrating an act of oneness, but was signifying that he was also China's master. Secondly, the spot where he chose to cross was carefully selected for maximum effect and significance. By choosing Wuhan, where the 1911 revolution began, Mao was associating himself with the beginning of change for China and, in particular, with a revolution that was essentially against the Qing empire.