Mao memorabilia

Don't leave Beijing without stocking up on a few Great Helmsman trinkets

The trinkets and charms emblazoned with Mao Zedong that were once displayed in people's homes as an expression of dutifulness to their leader have now become kitsch souvenirs devoured by Westerners.

Despite the, shall we say, failings of the Communist leader, Mao remains the one person who sums up China. Thirty years after his death, the Great Helmsman's portrait still presides over Tiananmen Square and his picture can be found on everything from watches to posters and that sparkly, dangly thing adorning your taxi driver's rearview mirror.

Created throughout the 1950s, '60s and '70s, literally tens of millions of Little Red Books, badges and pins were made, meaning that when you spot one of them at a market such as Panjiayuan or in Liulichang, it could well be an original.

Mao lighters that play 'The East is Red' are another favourite with tat-seeking tourists and can be found in places like the Silk Market, the back streets of Wangfujing and Yashow Market in particular.

For an unrivalled selection of alarm clocks, key fobs, busts and more, a visit to the Chairman Mao Memorial Hall is a must, or tour the furniture showrooms inside the entrance to Panjiayuan.

More about capitalism than communism, the craze looks set to continue because, for outsiders at least, the grim face of rampant dictatorship is somewhat diffused by a kitsch memento that you can laugh at when you get home.

Sarah Keenlyside