What’s the story behind Mao Anying and fried rice?

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Let’s dive into a lighter topic today.

The story of Mao Anying and fried rice is a fascinating yet sensitive topic, especially in the context of China's modern internet culture. Around November 25 each year, "fried rice" becomes an unusually sensitive term on Chinese online platforms—an almost surreal phenomenon.

A longstanding popular narrative suggests that Mao Anying, the son of Mao Zedong, was killed during the Korean War because he made fried rice in Peng Dehuai's office. According to this account, the smoke from cooking attracted U.S. bombers, leading to the area being targeted with napalm, ultimately causing his death. However, the Chinese government has consistently denied this version of events. Official outlets like PLA Daily and Xinhua News Agency have published articles dismissing this as a baseless rumor.

“Seventy years ago, on the urgent battlefield of the Korean War, the charred remains of two martyrs were discovered in the rubble bombed by American aircraft. One of them was Mao Zedong's eldest son—Mao Anying. Amid national crises and enemy threats, Mao Anying volunteered to join the army, becoming, in name and in truth, the first Volunteer Army soldier. He sacrificed his life for his country, embodying the spirit of dedication. Treating death as a return home, his heroic figure remains unyielding, and his soul unwavering. However, in recent years, Mao Anying's heroic deeds have been tarnished by various rumors. Among them, the most malicious is the claim that his death was caused by him cooking fried rice with eggs, which allegedly attracted enemy bombers. Numerous articles have already criticized and debunked this falsehood. Even today, we must continue to clarify historical truths and restore the dignity of this martyr!”

In recent years, institutions like the Chinese Academy of History have also taken to publicly debunking the fried rice story around November 25, condemning it as a malicious slander against a martyr. A typical statement would stress that "heroes must not be sullied, and their dignity must not be desecrated."

The sensitivity surrounding this topic has led to severe consequences for seemingly unrelated actions. For instance, three years ago, a food vlogger named Wang Gang uploaded a video teaching viewers how to cook fried rice. Although the video wasn’t posted near November 25, it sparked backlash from Chinese netizens, accusing him of disrespecting a national hero. Similarly, a China Unicom WeChat account once shared a fried rice recipe on November 23, which led to public outrage and the account being shut down.

Wang Gang

The origins of the fried rice story trace back to Yang Di, the Deputy Director of Operations in the Volunteer Army Headquarters. Yang wrote several memoirs, and in his third book, Years in the Volunteer Army Headquarters, he described the circumstances surrounding Mao Anying's death. According to Yang, "three people were in the room cooking fried rice with eggs" when the airstrike occurred. This account sparked outrage, particularly from Mao Anying's widow, Liu Siqi, who dismissed the claim, stating, "Where would we even get rice? We were eating sorghum, and even that wasn’t fully hulled." Another critic was the daughter of Gao Ruixin, a staff officer who died alongside Mao Anying. However, both of them had personal stakes in the matter, as their loved ones were among those killed in the bombing.

Gao Ruixin

To reexamine the historical context, it’s worth noting how Mao Anying ended up in Korea. A common claim is that Li Kenong recommended him, but some memoirs suggest otherwise. According to these accounts, Mao Zedong personally discussed and decided with Mao Anying that he should gain experience on the Korean battlefield. On October 7, 1950, during a banquet in Zhongnanhai with Peng Dehuai and Mao Anying present, Mao Zedong insisted on sending his son to Korea for "tempering," despite any attempts to decline the offer. Ultimately, Mao Zedong's determination prevailed, and Mao Anying was entrusted to Peng Dehuai.

In October 1950, Mao Anying accompanied Mao Zedong to Shenyang and stayed at Gao Gang's residence for over ten days before entering Korea on October 23. He joined the Chinese People's Volunteer Army (CPVA) headquarters as a Russian translator. However, his actual workload was minimal. During his 32-day tenure, he completed only two translation tasks: one during the Soviet ambassador to North Korea's visit to the CPVA headquarters and another during a meeting between a Soviet committee and Peng Dehuai. Apart from these tasks, Mao Anying served as the party branch secretary for the CPVA headquarters office. His daily duties were limited, mainly involving playing chess with Peng Dehuai and attending meetings.

The CPVA headquarters was stationed in the Da Yudong valley in northern Korea, chosen for its concealment. In early November, U.S. reconnaissance aircraft discovered vehicles in the area—captured U.S. military trucks—which were subsequently bombed, resulting in the loss of over 60 trucks. Following this, the CPVA tightened its concealment protocols: water had to be boiled and meals prepared before dawn, and all personnel were required to relocate to caves by 7 a.m. Daytime fires and smoke were strictly prohibited. However, on November 24, reconnaissance planes again circled the area, increasing the risk of exposure. Despite repeated meetings led by Hong Xuezhi to emphasize these measures, enforcement remained inconsistent.

On the morning of November 25, 1950, U.S. aircraft bombed the CPVA headquarters. Peng Dehuai had been persuaded by Hong Xuezhi to enter a cave for safety, but Mao Anying stayed behind in Peng's office. There are two main accounts of why Mao Anying did not retreat to the cave:

The first account suggests that Mao Anying initially followed the main group into the cave but later returned to the office for unknown reasons. Some memoirs indicate that Peng Dehuai instructed him to gather frontline updates from operations staff, which required his return.

The second account claims that Mao Anying never left the office that morning. According to this version, he stayed up late working, fell asleep at his desk, and missed the scheduled retreat to the cave. After waking, he reportedly lit a fire to cook food, roast apple peels, or brew coffee—activities that violated the concealment protocols.

When the bombing occurred, Mao Anying was in the office with another staff member, Gao Ruixin. Both were killed by napalm dropped by U.S. aircraft.

The claim that Mao Anying died while cooking fried rice has been corroborated by several memoirs. Some survivors recalled seeing Mao Anying cooking fried rice or roasting apple peels shortly before the attack. This story has sparked significant debate, as cooking fires were explicitly prohibited due to the risk of exposing the headquarters to aerial reconnaissance. Regardless of whether it was fried rice or another activity, Mao Anying's actions clearly violated the CPVA's concealment rules, indirectly contributing to the targeting of the headquarters.

Mao Anying's death was undoubtedly a personal tragedy, but it also had profound implications for Chinese politics. Mao Zedong had intended to groom Mao Anying as his successor, and his deployment to the Korean battlefield was widely seen as an effort to build his military credentials. However, Mao Anying's death disrupted these plans and left Mao Zedong grappling with succession issues for the remainder of his life. Ultimately, this prevented China from moving toward a dynastic "family rule" system similar to North Korea.