BEIJING (AP) — Fast food chain KFC is memorializing a popular Chinese Communist hero with restaurant decor extolling his deeds in a rare matching of an iconic American brand with Communist propaganda.
The official Xinhua News Agency says the company launched its first “Lei Feng Spirit” restaurant in Lei’s home province of Hunan on Tuesday, the official remembrance day for the soldier who died in 1962 at the age of 21.
Lei’s example of selfless service to the Communist Party and his comrades was popularized in 1963 by former leader Mao Zedong and remains a rallying point for party unity and public service.
The KFC restaurant in the provincial capital of Changsha is decorated with Lei’s writings and image. The company did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
