[robertvance]

Chairman Mao's name is still the 'automatic' answer to this question in China

[ansel12]

I’m old enough to remember when people knew about Chiang Kai Shek, he was pretty famous at one time.

[doc1019]

Spend much of my time in China (business), I find fewer and fewer people incline to accept Mao’s ideas. Most consider him an anachronism.

[SMCC1]

Hu Yaobang? Nah. Chairman Mao

[CottShop]

[[Is Mao Zedong Really the Most Famous Man in Chinese History?]]

No! Bruce Lee is- period!

[curiosity]

I would say the contest of most important historical figure in China is between Mao Zedong and Qin Shi Huang.

Given that Qin lived almost 2000 years ago, it is hardly surprising that Mao has more name recognition today.

BTW, their historical importance says nothing about their worth as human beings. Both were despicable, and Mao was considerably worse. But I don't think there is anyone else in Chinese history who compares to these men in terms of how much they changed history.

Well, maybe Confucius.

[redhead]

"Is Mao Zedong Really the Most Famous Man in Chinese History?"

I vote for a three way tie: 1) Bruce Lee 2)Jackie Chan 3) Chow Yun Fat.

[ari-freedom]

I'd say General Tso is the most famous

[chinaboy]

There is no doubt about it.

[PzLdr]

Qublai Quan. He re-united China around 1279 [when he conquered the Sung]. Been one country ever since. And while not Chinese, he was the first emperor of the Yuan dynasty.

[piasa]

Sun Tzu is the first to pop into my head.

[mysterio]

Sun Tzu, hands down.

[ReneeLynn]

Wong Fei Hung.

[DieHard the Hunter]

I would have chosen “Sun Tzu” or “Lao Tsu”.

If permitted to choose an immigrant to China, then “Bodhidharma” would trump the lot: who hasn’t heard of “Buddha”?

[citizencon]

I’m confused...shouldn’t it be Confucius?

[weegee]

I see statues of happy fat buddah at Chinese restaurants in America (that and the waving cat). I don’t see Chinese immigrants in America bowing to Mao.

[AmericanVictory]

He who, with his Great Leap Forward, reduced one of the world’s oldest and proudest civilizations literally to cannibalism.

[hobbitslikepotatoes]

It must be Chair Mao.He was the first product of combination of the modern communist propoganda technology and traditional Confusion-style propoganda theory, wasn’t he? Even after his death, his main political enemies, who arrested his nephew and his wife after he died, feared to despise him. Oh, he was so loved and by chinese. Especially to those who couldn’t read and write in rural place, Chair Mao is more of a god than a great man.

[cmdjing]

The most important man in shaping Chinese history is Shang Yang.