The image that in public memory is most closely associated with the Cultural Revolutionary Mao cult is probably the image of Mao Zedong standing on top of Tiananmen reviewing millions of enthusiastic Red Guards. Like no other event, these eight “mass receptions” between August and November 1966 have come to symbolize the cult’s charismatic force to mobilize the Chinese youth. Despite the prominence of the mass receptions both in memoirs and scholarly literature, neither the specific circumstances nor the incredible logistical background have been subjected to closer examination. This chapter provides a tentative outline of the characteristics, organization, and impact of the Red Guard Mao worship and the “exchange of experiences” or “great link-up” (chuanlian) that spread the seeds of the Cultural Revolution nationwide. Finally, the chapter examines strategies of employing cult symbols to oppose the policies of the Central Cultural Revolution Group (CCRG) around Jiang Qing. To explore these strategies, the chapter looks at the case of a specific Red Guard organization, called United Action (liandong), which achieved redoubtable fame in the first year of the Cultural Revolution.