Nation turns out to mark Deng centenary

Crowds jam exhibitions, concerts and historic sites linked to the former leader

From Beijing to Shenzhen, hundreds of thousands of people gathered for government-organised activities, toured exhibitions and visited historic sites associated with Deng Xiaoping on the 100th anniversary of his birth.

In Shenzhen, authorities organised 200 pianists to play together to mark the occasion. The Hong Kong China News Agency said the youngest participant was only eight.

Historic sites like Quanzhou in Jiangxi - where Deng was sent during one of his falls from power - and Bose in Guangxi - where he led an uprising during the civil war - also organised activities to celebrate. A photo exhibition was held in Quanzhou and a statute of the late paramount leader was unveiled in Bose.

But the fanfare was the loudest in two places - Beijing and Deng's hometown of Guangan, in Sichuan province .

A free exhibition in the capital drew thousands of people to the National Museum of China. Many of the 320 historic photographs, 50 dossiers and 140 artefacts were on show for the first time and included some of Deng's clothes and receipts documenting anonymous donations he made.

More than 70,000 visitors have attended the exhibition during the past two weeks.

Seventeen-year-old Beijing secondary school student Cao Yunlong took notes as he made his way through the exhibition.

'I hope I can gain a full understanding of the late Chinese leader by visiting this exhibition,' he said. 'Deng's life will be a good history lesson for me.'

Tao Jiasong , a 52-year-old migrant labourer from Guangan, had a different perspective.

Mr Tao broke a bone in his hand during an accident on a construction site a month ago in Beijing and hoped to draw inspiration from the late leader.

'Deng Xiaoping is the pride of Guangan, my hometown,' he said. 'I came here to pay my respects to Deng Xiaoping and I hope I can learn from his indomitable spirit.'

German businessman Walter Kuebler was one of the few international visitors taking in the exhibition. 'I know a lot about him and I want to learn more, so, I came here,' Mr Kuebler said.

'China had a big problem during the Cultural Revolution. Chinese people are lucky as Deng Xiaoping found the right route for Chinese - the adoption of opening-up and economic reform policies.'

He credited Deng as the father of China's economic revolution.

Yu Lexian , an official with a state-owned pharmaceutical firm in Yunnan , said Deng was easygoing, practical and realistic, and his modesty had left a deep impression on him.

But on the streets of Beijing there were few signs of public celebration. Most young people interviewed in a downtown shopping centre were unaware of the occasion.

A sales assistant did not know it was the 100th anniversary of Deng's birth and said she had no interest in politics. 'People of my generation understand little about him and care little about politics. We only like reading entertainment news,' she said.