Editor's Note:

The story Mao's final teacher ran in the Global Times on March 6. It was about how a passionate worshipper of Chairman Mao put all his spare time and energy into opening a private primary and secondary school that teaches students Mao Zedong Thought in Huaiyang county, Central China's Henan Province.

The story:

Headmaster and founder Xia Zuhai believes that Mao Zedong Thought can shape students' moral character and become a beacon for their lives. Instead of good academic performances, he is more concerned about students' ability to recite and understand Mao Zedong Thought.

The school has experienced several ups and downs in the past 17 years. It used to be packed with students in the 1980-90s when the influence of Mao Zedong Thought was at its apogee. However, with the passage of time, the school started to go downhill and it became more difficult to recruit students in the modern era.

The story is about a man with extreme beliefs struggling against the times.

The backstory:

Although the weather was warming up and a new semester had begun when I walked into Minzhu Primary and Secondary School in the suburbs of Huaiyang county, Henan Province in early March, the setting seemed bleak.

Only a dozen students were playing in the spacious playground during the break. Most of the classrooms were closed due to a lack of students.

Being a fanatical promoter of Mao Zedong Thought, Xia Zuhai, 49, launched the school in the 1990s. Xia has been teaching students Mao Zedong Thought for the past 17 years in a bid to "cultivate the successor of communism".

Students are asked to sing red songs in each class and have to take two red education classes each week. They are also asked to sing a song expressing their gratitude for Chairman Mao before they have dinner.

When Mao Zedong Thought was at its peak in the 1980-90s, his school took in over 600 students. But with more private schools springing up, the difficulties he faces in enrolling students has put the school in a serious plight.

The school takes in 17 children, but only 12 of them pay tuition fees. "Many students are from under-privileged families who cannot afford the fee, so I exempted them from paying it," Xia said.

Xia is facing a mountain of debt. Lacking funds, Xia has to use plastic sheets to cover the broken windows of the classrooms. Chilly winds in the freezing winter leave the cheeks and hands of some students chapped due to long exposure to the cold.

The lack of heating means students have to huddle together in bunk-beds to stay warm in the winter. Despite the bleak situation, Xia refuses to close the school. "I shall defend the last battlefield for Chairman Mao," Xia told the Global Times, waving his hands in the air.

Wearing a Chinese-style cotton-padded jacket and bottle-thick glasses, Xia looks much older than his years.

Xia calls himself a Don Quixote who harbors dreams of passing on the spirit of Mao Zedong Thought. Xia sometimes gets paranoid when he talks about his obsession with Mao Zedong Thought.

Xia pointed out that in a fast-changing society where people seek fame and gain instead of traditional virtues, including modesty, filial piety and good moral character, people should resort to Mao Zedong Thought to solve their problems.

"The core spirit of Mao Zedong Thought is to serve the people. Only Mao Zedong Thought can save China and the world," Xia said firmly.

Xia seems depressed when he acknowledges that the influence of Mao Zedong Thought is waning in a materialistic world.

"People mocked me as a fool when they talked about my school and me, but I paid no attention to it, because I knew clearly Mao Zedong Thought can help tackle the difficulties that modern education has encountered," Xia told the Global Times.

I stayed in the school for three days, and found it barely had any visitors. Xia became alienated from most of his relatives and friends after opening the school. His daughter, Xia Yuanyuan, said her father severed ties with his older brother due to a disagreement over whether or not to run the school.

Xia puts less emphasis on students' academic performances, and students are asked to do exercises, watch red movies, or read red classics in their spare time. Xia also places great value on the teaching of traditional culture, which is "the root of Mao Zedong Thought".

Xia also has an older son, who grew up at the school with his sister.

Xia Yuanyuan, who dreams of becoming a musician, likes to tell you that she can sing almost every song in the revolutionary songbook. However, because she never took music lessons, she is unable to read music.

Yuanyuan is also worried about the future of the school. "In order to help my father, I will teach at the school after I graduate from high school," 16-year-old Yuanyuan, who will go to high school next year, told the Global Times.

She wrote in her diary that with her schoolmates constantly leaving, she feels like she can't find any place to settle down.

Late last year, a local businessman came to Xia and said he wanted to purchase the school, renew the infrastructure and rebuild it, while allowing Xia to remain in his position.

Xia refused the offer. "If the school doesn't belong to me, I won't have the final say about the school, which is not good for passing on Mao Zedong Thought," Xia said.

When facing difficulties, Xia said, he inspires himself with Mao Zedong Thought. "If I give up, then I'm not a true believer of Mao Zedong Thought. We have gone through a lot of difficulties, but we will survive in the end," Xia said.

Xia recalled that when he founded the school, he had to borrow desks and chairs from his friends. At least 88 students have earned bachelor's degrees after graduating from Minzhu school, Xia pointed out.

"We have cultivated several excellent students by teaching Mao Zedong Thought. Why would the school go downhill?" asked Xia.