Forbidden City is a novel by San Francisco Chronicle columnist Vanessa Hua that was published in 2022. The book is a follow-up to Hua's 2018 debut novel, A River of Stars. In contrast to the 21st America of a Chinese immigrant situated in that novel, Forbidden City is set in 20th century China dominated by the legendary cultural phenomenon known simply as Mao. That does not mean that the story is not relevant to the present day, however.
Mei Xiang aka "Little Plum Blossom" narrates her tale from a point in the future that looks back upon her childhood experience when she was transported from her small village to the center of Chinese power to become a member of what she is told to tell people is "revolutionary dance troupe." This is a time and place and circumstance that seems as unlikely to connect to the MeToo movement as possible and yet it is impossible not to draw a parallel.
The opening sentence of the novel is "The Chairman is dead." The Chairman is the official title of respect by which Mao was known. Also known as the "Father of the Chinese Revolution" he managed to successfully exploit propaganda to transform himself into almost a semi-deity, especially among the peasant class. believing he had not just the power, but the desire to improve their circumstances Thus, Mei accepts the offer to take a position as a member of the dance troupe because she views it as a great honor.
Mao has another side that is known only among a certain very elite, intimate, and tightly closed circle. He was as big a fan of ballroom dancing as the average viewer of Dancing with the Stars. Given his almost unlimited power, he created for himself a version that might be called Dancing for the Chairman. These private dancers were conscripted to provide "entertainment" specifically for the great leader. By the time Mei puts on the official dance outfit of a tight-fitting sweater and schoolgirlish plaid skirt, Mao was already in his seventies. If one suspects that Mao might have been less of a fan of ballroom dancing than he was of teenage girls, one would likely be correct. This dissonance between the semi-deistic image of "The Chairman" and the reality of a dirty old man becomes the crux of the narrative as it creates internal conflict within Mei. Beginning the novel with the announcement of the death of Mao and telling a story that begins in the 1960s as both his hold on power as well as his public image are beginning to crumble also has relevance to the period in which this novel was published.
Considering the timeline in which Hua must have composed Forbidden City, it is difficult not to draw a very strong parallel between Mao in this era of his life and movie mogul Harvey Weinstein. Mirroring Mao, Weinstein was a rebellious figure in the film industry who rose to become one of the most powerful figures in Hollywood. Hua was writing her story about the fall of Mao at a time in history that saw Weinstein tumble from the height of power into a jail cell after multiple accusations of sexual harassment, assault, and outright rape. It is a true story that coincides with the fictionalization of a possibly true story of Mao
Mei comes to join the dance troupe fully under the sway of the illusion carefully constructed of "The Chairman" as a figure demanding absolute loyalty and fealty and almost worship. She learns the truth the hard way upon discovering that dancing is not the dirty old man's true obsession with young girls like herself.
Further delineating a connection to the 21st century MeToo movement in general and Weinstein, in particular, is the ugly truth about what such propaganda and proximity to power can do to those that the powerful exploit. The young girls wishing to become Mao's favorites soon enough pit themselves against each other in an attempt to be the most pleasing. Trusting that one person has the power to transform your whole life—to make your dreams come true and give you a future infinitely more desirable than the past you left behind—is the key to the sexual power men like Mao and Weinstein wield.
Ultimately, of course, it must be remembered this is historical fiction. It is a tale of something that may have happened rather than something that did happen. Mao's fall from grace is very real, but his secrets have managed to remain more intact than the powerful men brought down by the MeToo movement. That it is fiction does nothing to lessen the impact, however. Especially if the fiction can serve to awaken readers to the historical fact taking place around them.
