Mao made 'mistakes' says Chinese President

Thousands queued through the night near his childhood home in Shaoshan, Hunan, to see a huge fireworks display which is said to have lasted four hours. Many more made the pilgrimage to the village to mark the anniversary.

Chinese politicians rarely comment on the Great Helmsman as some of Mao's policies had disastrous consequences for the nation.

After victory over the Nationalists in 1949, Mao proclaimed the People's Republic and became its first leader.

Once in power, however, many of the policies he oversaw proved disastrous.

The so-called “Great Leap Forward” of collectivised farming and rapid industrialisation led to nationwide famine which killed between 10 million and 35 million people.

The decade-long ‘Cultural Revolution' from 1966, which he launched to purge political opponents, dragged on for 10 years and ruined the lives and educations of a whole generation, making Mao a controversial figure in China.