– Mao Zedong · Spring 1927 Nine great streams flow vast through central land,A long thread of rail runs deep through south and north.Mist and rain blend into boundless gray,Tortoise and Snake hold the great river tight.
– by Mao Zedong, 1925 I stand alone in the autumn chillOn the bank of the Xiang River, heading north,Watching the thousands of hills blaze redAnd the woods dyed layer upon layer.The river stretches clear, a hundred boats racing across the waves.Eagles strike the sky, fish dart in the shallow depths –All creatures strive…