THREE years ago China's paramount leader, Deng Xiaoping, disappeared from view. Only in death did he appear again. Last night on state television, millions of viewers glimpsed the country's last great revolutionary leader in a glass coffin, his face lightly made up and puffy, and dressed in a Mao suit, just hours before his cremation in a Beijing cemetery.
This morning China pays formal tribute to Deng, who died on Wednesday, aged 92. President Jiang Zemin and the Prime Minister, Mr Li Peng, will lead 10,000 official mourners at a funeral service in the Great Hall of the People on Tiananmen Square.
A planned visit by the US Secretary of State, Ms Madeleine Albright, went ahead yesterday in Beijing. In a 40 minute meeting, President Jiang spoke to her of the eulogy he will deliver this morning, which could play a significant role in consolidating his power in the aftermath of Deng's death.
The meeting paved the way for a visit by the US Vice President, Mr Al Gore, next month and a US China summit later in the year but Ms Albright was unable to report any progress on a rumoured deal on human rights.
Ships and train whistles and factory horns will sound throughout China this morning to honour the paramount leader who died after a long struggle with Parkinson's disease. He had not been seen since February 1994.
State television showed scenes of unrestrained grief at a closed ceremony in a military hospital before Deng's body was taken to the cemetery yesterday morning.
President Jiang, Mr Li, and other high officials, wearing black armbands and white paper flowers in their buttonholes, bowed three times before the glass enclosed body, which was draped in the red flag of China and covered with flowers.
The weeping began when the family approached, led by his widow, Zhuo Lin (83), a veteran revolutionary, leaning on a stick, and his favourite son, Mr Deng Pufang (53), confined to a wheelchair since jumping from a window during the Cultural Revolution to escape Red Guards who had branded his father a "capitalist roader".
One of his three daughters, Ms Deng Nan (48), a vice minister of science and technology, buried her head against her father's forehead. Another Ms Deng Rong (47), who acted as his "hearing aid", cried out: "Dad, you are not dead."
Mr Jiang, looking ill at ease, shook hands with Deng's weeping family but said nothing. Then male and female soldiers filed past, most crying openly.
A white van carried Deng's body to abaoshan cemetery in western Beijing. Along the route crowds officially estimated at 100,000 watched in silence. Some later tied their white mourning flowers to branches.
Deng's ashes were taken to the Great Hall of the People and will be scattered over the sea after the service.
Authorities have imposed strict security measures in Tiananmen Square to prevent unauthorised demonstrations.
The few Chinese dissidents at liberty have been ordered to stay at home until after the funeral, which begins at 10 a.m. (2 a.m. Irish time).
Deng Xiaoping's vision will not die with him. His corneas have gone to China's Tongrea eye hospital.
"Our whole hospital is very moved by this," a nurse said. "We hope they will provide hope and light for our future."