China’s Gen Z is going back to Mao: How economic slowdown & workplace stress are making youth look to the late leader for answers

Fifty years after Mao Zedong's death, his writings are finding a new audience among sections of China's younger generation, with some turning to the former leader's ideas for guidance amid economic uncertainty, workplace pressure and growing competition in education and employment.

The renewed interest comes at a time when China's economy is facing slower growth and wider concerns over inequality and job opportunities. According to a recent report by the South China Morning Post, Mao's works are increasingly being treated by some young Chinese not simply as political texts, but as a source of resilience and personal advice.

Mao Zedong's popularity sees quiet comeback among China's Gen Z

Mao, who died on September 9, 1976, aged 82, remains one of the most influential and controversial figures in modern Chinese history. He led the Chinese Communist Party to power and became the founding leader of the People's Republic of China in 1949.


While Mao's political legacy became increasingly contested after his death, his image and writings never disappeared completely from Chinese public life. His portrait continues to overlook Tiananmen Square, while his ideas remain part of the official ideological framework of the Communist Party.

The latest trend, however, is notable because some younger Chinese appear to be approaching Mao from a different perspective, looking to his writings for ways of dealing with personal setbacks and uncertainty.

Why are young Chinese reading Mao again?

Analysts cited by the South China Morning Post suggest that economic and social pressures are among the reasons behind the renewed interest.

Young people dealing with intense competition, employment uncertainty, wealth inequality and pressure surrounding education may see Mao's discussions of class, struggle and hardship as offering an explanation for their own frustrations.

The trend is difficult to quantify, but there are visible signs of renewed interest in Mao's works. At Tsinghua University, Selected Works of Mao Zedong reportedly topped the library loan list last year, according to the Post.

Mao-themed merchandise is also attracting buyers. A shop on Chinese e-commerce platform Taobao selling enamel mugs featuring Mao reportedly sold more than 20,000 units over the past year, the report said.

Mao's books become a source of life advice

The renewed interest goes beyond traditional political reading. Online influencers and Mao enthusiasts have reportedly built large audiences by presenting passages from his writings as practical advice for dealing with workplace problems, relationships and everyday difficulties.

Some young people have also formed online reading groups centred on Mao's works. AI-narrated videos and social media posts are helping introduce his speeches and writings to people born long after his death.

For this generation, Mao is less a personal memory and more a historical figure whose words are being reinterpreted through the pressures of modern life.

Mao's legacy remains deeply controversial

The renewed interest does not erase the darker chapters of Mao's rule.

Mao's Cultural Revolution, launched in 1966, plunged China into a decade of political and social upheaval. The campaign targeted people accused of being political or ideological enemies and caused widespread persecution and disruption.

The Communist Party later described the Cultural Revolution as a grave error and assigned Mao primary responsibility. His legacy therefore remains deeply contradictory: he is celebrated officially for his role in China's revolution and independence while his political campaigns remain associated with immense suffering.

Deng Xiaoping's reforms changed China's economic path

After Mao's death, China moved towards a dramatically different economic model under Deng Xiaoping.

The reform era expanded markets, encouraged private enterprise and gradually moved the country away from many of the economic policies associated with Mao's period. Over subsequent decades, China experienced extraordinary economic growth and became deeply integrated into the global economy.

That transformation made Mao's economic and political approach appear increasingly distant from everyday life for younger generations.

But the recent economic slowdown and concerns about inequality have created conditions in which some of Mao's ideas are once again being discussed.

Mao's ideas resurface during US-China tensions

Mao's writings have also resurfaced during periods of heightened tensions between China and the United States.

The South China Morning Post reported that during the US-China tariff confrontation, Chinese social media users revisited Mao's writings, including his discussions of imperialism and the concept of an enemy being a “paper tiger”. His 1938 work On Protracted War was also referenced online.

The renewed interest therefore has both personal and nationalist dimensions. For some young Chinese, Mao represents resilience and resistance to external pressure, while others are drawn to his image as a leader associated with China's rise as an independent power.

China remains cautious about Mao's growing appeal

The growing interest in Mao is also complicated for China's leadership.

On one hand, Mao remains an important symbol of national independence and the Communist Party's revolutionary origins. On the other, analysts say that a renewed focus on Mao's ideas about class struggle and inequality could potentially encourage criticism of contemporary economic policies.

That tension helps explain why Mao's legacy continues to occupy a complicated position in modern China.

How China marked Mao's 50th death anniversary

September 9, 2026 marked 50 years since Mao's death. There was no major central memorial ceremony announced for the anniversary, although the Chairman Mao Memorial Hall in Beijing extended its opening hours by three hours. Visiting slots for the week were reportedly fully booked.

Recent reporting also shows that Mao's legacy remains visible across China, from official symbolism to growing nostalgia among some sections of society.

Inputs from PTI