Like Mao in ’66, swimmers cross Yangtze River

Swimmers at the 38th International Yangtze River Crossing Festival in Wuhan, Central China's Hubei province, carry a poster of Mao Zedong, July 16, 2011. The swimming competition commemorates China's former leader Mao Zedong, who swam across the Yangtze River in Wuhan on July 16, 1966, at the age of 73, but the festival has now become a major boost to the city's tourism. This year, 1,717 swimmers are participating as individuals and groups. Jingzhou city, also along the Yangtze River in Hubei province, are holding similar events. But in Ezhou, Hubei province, about 500 swimmers were asked to cancel their swim for lack of proper approvals.