Funeral of Zhou Enlai (1976)

Zhou was hospitalized in 1974 for bladder cancer, but continued to conduct work from the hospital, with Deng Xiaoping as the First Deputy Premier handling most of the important State Council matters. Zhou died on the morning of January 8, 1976, eight months before Mao Zedong. Zhou’s death brought messages of condolence from many non-aligned states that had been affected by his actions during his tenure as a diplomat and negotiator. Zhou’s body was cremated and the ashes scattered by air over hills and valleys, according to his wishes. Inside China, the infamous Gang of Four (led by Jiang Qing) regarded Zhou’s death as the convenient removal of the last major challenge to their plot to seize absolute power. At Zhou’s funeral, Deng Xiaoping delivered the official eulogy, but he was later forced out of politics until after Mao’s death. The Gang feared that the spontaneous expressions of mourning which had arisen among the people might be dangerous to them. During the Tiananmen I