SKIRMISHER

Chen Yan’s favorite past time these days is dressing up and spending some money to copy Mao Zedong’s hair, and walking around kissing babies. She uncannily resembles the old strongman that for a moment there our instinct was to duck and wait for shit to fly. Now that she got your attention, give her some money, will ya.

Suited up in a grey, button-up waistcoat, Chen looks similar to the man who ruled China with an iron grip for decades, and is happy to ham it up for the cameras.

But the effortless poses belie fastidious preparations behind the scenes.

Chen spends up to 800 yuan on make-up and styling to create Mao’s famous receding hairline.

“I need to wear a pair of specially designed shoes to increase my height to 1.80 meters (5 ft 11 in) since I am only 1.55 meters. Then I dress up in Sun Yat-sen suits which Mao also likes, and hold a cigarette without the filter,” Chen said.

The financial hardships had forced her to call the media for a public photo shoot to “gain support and understanding from the public.”

Stumble it!