The giant portrait of late Chairman Mao Zedong which stares out over Tian'anmen Square was quietly replaced on Wednesday prior to China's National Day which falls on Sunday.

It took about 90 minutes for workers to replace the painting which hangs above the gate to the Forbidden City across the street from Tian'anmen Square.

The picture of Mao is replaced with a newly painted version of the same portrait every year prior to National Day.

The portrait, six meters high, five meters wide and weighing about two tons, is a reproduction of the fourth edition of Mao's portrait that has hung at the historic spot since New China was founded in 1949.

The first edition painted in 1949 showed Mao wearing a military uniform and a cap. The second edition, hung between 1950 and 1952, showed Mao in a green suit. The third edition, painted in the 1950s by portraitist Zhang Zhenshi, was put up between 1953 and 1968.

The original of the third edition has just been acquired by the National Museum of China earlier this week after plans to auction it last spring were called off.

Source: Xinhua