Death and state funeral of Mao Zedong

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Death and funeral of Mao Zedong
Lokakuu and Punakaarti 1976.jpg
A Finnish girl reading the magazine Punakaarti and Lokakuu which reports the death of Mao in 1976
Date9–18 September 1976
Location Beijing, China
Participants Hua Guofeng, party and state leaders, members of the Chinese Communist Party, Chinese military and civilians

Mao Zedong, [lower-alpha 1] the founder of the People's Republic of China (PRC) and Chairman of the Chinese Communist Party, died on 9 September 1976 at the age of 82, following a period of ill health. The government ordered a week of national mourning following his death.

Contents

Death

Mao's last public appearance — and the last known photograph of him alive — was on 27 May 1976. Frail and barely able to speak or walk, Mao met the visiting Pakistani Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto during the latter's visit to Beijing. [1] [ page needed ] At around 17:00 on 5 September 1976, Mao had a heart attack, far more severe than his previous two earlier that year which affected a much larger area of his heart, leaving him bedridden. On the afternoon of 7 September, Mao's condition completely deteriorated. Mao's organs failed quickly and he fell into a coma shortly before noon and was put on a ventilator and life support machines.

On 8 September, when it was clear the comatose Mao was beyond recovery, Chinese government officials decided to disconnect his life support machines at midnight. Mao died ten minutes later at 00:10 local time on 9 September 1976 at age 82. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) delayed the announcement of his death until 16:00 later that day, when a radio message broadcast across the nation announced the news of Mao's passing while appealing for party unity. [2]

The Chinese government ordered a week of national mourning with flags at half-mast. All entertainment and music activities were suspended and theaters were closed. [3]

Members of the funeral committee

  1. Hua Guofeng (member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CCP Central Committee, First Vice Chairman of the CCP Central Committee, Premier of the State Council, Minister of Public Security)
  2. Wang Hongwen (Chairman of the Political Bureau of the CCP Central Committee, Vice Chairman of the CCP Central Committee)
  3. Ye Jianying (Chairman of the Political Bureau of the CCP Central Committee, Vice Chairman of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, Secretary General of the Central Military Commission, Minister of National Defense)
  4. Zhang Chunqiao (President of the Political Bureau of the CCP Central Committee, Vice Premier of the State Council, Standing Committee of the Central Military Commission, Director of the General Political Department of the PLA)

Wei Guoqing, Liu Bocheng, Jiang Qing, Xu Shiyou, Ji Dengkui, Wu De, Wang Dongxing, Chen Yonggui, Chen Xilian, Li Xiannian, Li Desheng, Yao Wenyuan, Wu Guixian, Su Zhenhua, Ni Zhifu, Saifuddin Azizi, Soong Ching Ling, Guo Moruo, Xu Xiangqian, Nie Rongzhen, Chen Yun, Tan Zhenlin, Li Jingquan, Zhang Dingzhen, Cai Chang, Ulanhu, Ngapoi Ngawang Jigme, Zhou Jianren, Xu Dezhen, Hu Yuwen, Li Suwen, Yao Lianwei, Wang Zhen, Yu Qiuli, Gu Mu, Sun Jian, Su Yu, Shen Yanbing, Pagbalha Geleg Namgyai, and Jiang Hua all partook in paying posthumous tributes to Mao.

Funeral and memorial service

External videos
Nuvola apps kaboodle.svg Official Chinese documentary on Mao's funeral

Mao's embalmed, CCP-flag-draped body lay in state at the Great Hall of the People for one week. [4] During this period, an estimated one million people, including diplomatic envoys, leaders of foreign communist parties, and foreign nationals in China, filed past Mao to pay their final respects. Chairman Mao's official portrait was hung on the wall, with a banner reading: "Carry on the cause left by Chairman Mao and carry on the cause of proletarian revolution to the end", until September 17. [4] On September 17, Chairman Mao's body was taken in a minibus from the Great Hall of the people to Maojiawan to the 305 Hospital that Li Zhisui directed, and Mao's internal organs were preserved in formaldehyde. [4]

Reactions

See also

Notes

  1. In this Chinese name, the family name is Mao .

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References

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