China has become well-known for innovative ideas and it seems like another one will be added to the list: special fruits in the shape of Chairman Mao.

Some of China's gourds vary from other countries' due to the unique shape of the fruit which comes in the form of Chairman Mao's head.

The story of how these special gourds came about begins with a man named Xie Lyu Zhi who visited the Thousand Year Temple in Sichuan, China.

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While there, Xie met a monk who told him of his dream to have a gourd in the shape of a popular deity.

Reportedly, Xie took the idea to heart and began growing gourds that have different shapes inspired by iconic figures in history. 

Xie allows his gourds to grow naturally, meaning he does not use pesticides and as a result, his gourds are more vulnerable.

Some of the noteworthy figures you can see amongst Xie's gourds are Jesus, Chairman Mao, and St. Nick - Santa Claus.

Not all gourds are shaped like Chairman Mao, nor are all gourds shaped like a famous figure.

These one-of-a-kind gourds are made possible with the use of plastic containers that have distinct shapes.

There is a lengthy promotional video for those gourds, and it states that the gourds are shaped in a unique manner to help enhance children's observation skills.

It further cites that it's one of the ways for children to learn about iconic people while also having high regard for art.

With the shaping containers, it is now easy for Chinese of all ages to have gourds that have unique shapes.

The popularity of this innovation isn't just because of the shapes alone. Gourds are already popular in China because they symbolizes money and good luck.

It was already a customary activity to paint images on gourds, but this new revolution has developed and improved the tradition. 

TagsChairman Mao, Xie Lyu Zhi, Thousand Year Temple, gourds, iconic gourds, iconic fruit, fruit shaped like mao, mao