Deng Xiapong Passes - 1997 | Today In History | 19 Feb 17

On February 19, 1997, Deng Xiaoping, the last of China’s major Communist revolutionaries, died at age 92.


The Chinese government has ordered six days of official mourning to start immediately for paramount leader, Deng Xiaoping who died yesterday from respiratory problems brought on by advanced stage of Parkinson's disease.
Flower shops did a brisk trade in wreaths, and posters of Deng appeared on walls throughout the country as millions mourned the passing of Deng.


SHOWS:

CHINA, 20/02
MS soldier at Tiananmen square;
troops marching;
ws streets;
flag at half mast;
troops saluting;
flag at half mast;
ws square;
Vox pop woman speaking in Chinese: We have lost a great leader, the best one this country has seen. He was truly a great man. In the future our country will keep stepping forward. We will continue to follow the path Comrade Deng Xiaoping blazed for us.
Loud speaker announcing Deng's death;
people walking on the street;
people reading billboard announcing the death of Deng;
People at shopping mall where television sets announced his death;
documentary on Deng's life being screened on television;
Future Hong Kong leader Tung Chee-hwa SOT in Cantonese, saying (referring to Deng) "because of his life's hard work he has made the foundation, the Chinese people in the 21st century will be better off, the country will be stronger...(after question from media) I really don't want to talk about this question because we are very sad";

BEIJING UNIVERSITY
Flag at half mast outside university (students are on vacation for lunar new year);
university campus is quiet (normal university was one of the most active
during Tiananmen square in 1989);
Man buying newspaper, crying;
zoom into picture of Deng;
more people buying newspapers;
Shop selling funeral wreaths;
cu wreath;
more wreaths;
ext. shop;
Ba Bow Shan cemetery where leaders are buried;

GANSU PROVINCE, NORTH WEST CHINA, 20/2
CU wreaths;
people pasting Deng posters on wall;
vs of crowd;

BEIJING
Ext. building;
Int. meeting;
people with heads bowed;
Old woman crying;

RUNS: 6.10


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