CHANGSHA, Dec. 16 (Xinhua) -- A series of activities will be held to commemorate the 110th anniversary of the birth of the late Chairman Mao Zedong in his hometown Shaoshan, central China's Hunan Province.

　　These include a big commemorative meeting sponsored by the provincial committee of the Communist Party of China, the reopening of a Mao Zedong Memorial after renovation and an art performance, to be held from Dec. 24 to 25.

　　Mao (December 1893 -- September 1976) headed China's first generation central leadership after the People's Republic of China was founded in 1949. He spent much of his childhood and youth in Shaoshan.

　　Commemorative sites concerning Mao in the city, put on the list of China's major scenic spots and places of historical interest in 1994, include a memorial and Mao's former residence.

　　According to statistics provided by the local government, more than 1.8 million people visit Shaoshan every year.