A collector in Xi'an, capital of northwest China's Shaanxi Province, has collected over 80,000 badges of late Chinese leader Chairman Mao Zedong over the past 25 years.

The 30-year-old Ye Dong started his collection of Mao's badges when he was only five. He spent all his pocket money to buy badges in primary school, and most of his salary since he began to work 25 years ago.

The badges of 20,000 different kinds are made of more than 20 different materials, including silver, copper, wood, plastic, porcelain and leather.

He exhibited 7,000 badges with Mao's images at different times in his living room.

Ye is planning to hold an exhibition during the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, recounting Mao's stories to visitors from all over the world.

Mao Zedong, born to a peasant's family in central China's Hunanprovince in 1893 and died in 1976, was the founder and leader of the Communist Party of China (CPC), the Chinese People's Liberation Army and the People's Republic of China.

(Xinhua News Agency December 28, 2005)