The Wuhan Yangtze River Bridge completed in 1957, was the first bridge to be ever built across the Yangtze. It was regarded as a great achievement since no one before the communists had bridged the river. Huge numbers of badges were produced at the height of the Cultural Revolution, from 1966 to 1969. As a vital part of the cult of Mao, each badge carried his image. The majority showed his left profile, intended as a symbol of his leftist beliefs. Materials ranging from plastic and bamboo to gold were used to manufacture badges, but aluminium was by far the most common material. Porcelain badges such as these were actually produced for only a short span of time (about a year). Their fragility may have contributed to the decline in their production.
