Mao Zedong: Memorialised in 2,000 statues 26 December 2013 Last updated at 11:41 By China blog staff BBC News Photographer Cheng Wenjun has travelled throughout China since 1997 China is celebrating the 120th anniversary of former leader Mao Zedong's birth. Chairman Mao, the founding father of modern China, remains a hugely controversial figure and his legacy is still up for debate. But he remains a presence in cities across China, in the form of more than 2,000 statues that were built to commemorate him. Photographer Cheng Wenjun has travelled throughout China since 1997, taking photos of the many statues of Mao.