In 1989, Deng Xiaoping officially announced his retirement and handed over all central tasks to the next generation of leaders. He and his family lived in a courtyard in Miliangku Hutong, a back street in Jingshan, Beijing, and lived a low-key life in his later years. .
Although Deng Xiaoping has retired, many foreign dignitaries and international friends will still express their hope to see Deng Xiaoping when they come to Beijing. For these situations, Deng Xiaoping will decline one by one and let the Ministry of Foreign Affairs deal with it.
What is puzzling is that when North Korean leader Kim Il Sung visited China in 1991, when he proposed that he also wanted to meet Deng Xiaoping, Deng Xiaoping immediately agreed.
Deng Xiaoping and Kim Il Sung
On October 5th, Deng Xiaoping and Kim Il Sung had an hour-long meeting at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse. The whole process was very private. did not take pictures, publish it in newspapers, or make promotional videos. , only their respective translators and Deng Xiaoping’s daughter Deng Rong were accompanied throughout the process.
This has made many people curious. Deng Xiaoping never received foreign guests in his later years. Why did he make an exception for Kim Il Sung?
As important political figures in the two countries, why were Deng Xiaoping and Kim Il Sung so low-key when they met?
As the chief architect of reform and opening up, what kind of life did Deng Xiaoping live in his later years?
Deng Xiaoping's secret to longevity
Deng Xiaoping was already eighty-five years old when he retired in 1989. He has maintained basic health for several years after his retirement. Except for the impact of Parkinson's disease in his last few years, there was nothing else. critical illness.
Deng Xiaoping
This is largely due to Deng Xiaoping's good daily routine and healthy exercise habits.
In the courtyard of Miliangku Hutong, a back street in Jingshan, where he lived in his later years, after getting up at 6 o'clock every morning, he would energetically go into the bathroom to wash up, then go for a walk outside and then come back for breakfast.
After breakfast, it was time for reading. Even though he had retired, Deng Xiaoping still paid attention to various affairs of the country.
He asked his secretary to put newspapers such as " Xinhua Daily " and " Guangming Daily " on his desk in advance every day. Reading newspapers after eating every day became an important thing for him.
Whenever he sees any new development achievements made by the country, he will mark down the relevant important sentences.
Deng Xiaoping
After reading the newspaper, Deng Xiaoping would often go to the big tree in the yard downstairs, stretch his body and start doing aerobics that he created.
In this set of aerobics, all parts of the body can be moved from the neck down to the feet.
For other members of the family, as well as doctors and nurses, doing a set of exercises alone every day is a boring thing, but Deng Xiaoping was able to do it easily every day.
In addition to being very disciplined in his personal life, Deng Xiaoping was also very principled in his dealings with his family.
In order to maintain a close relationship between family members, Deng Xiaoping waited for all family members to arrive at dinner every day before starting to eat.
Deng Xiaoping
Once Deng Xiaoping's daughter took a plane back to Beijing. Because the plane arrived home after 9 pm late, Deng Xiaoping and his family waited until his daughter came back before starting to eat.
When eating dinner, Deng Xiaoping would ask the younger generations about their living conditions in recent days. Most of the time, he would just listen to the children talking about their own situations while eating, and he rarely spoke.
In Deng Xiaoping's view, the next generation must be stronger than the previous generation. Children and grandchildren will have their own blessings. The younger generations will manage their lives in their own way, and they do not need to express too many opinions.
In Deng Xiaoping's home, there was a lot of fun at the dinner table every day, and every family member could continue to feel the warmth from the extended family.
Deng Xiaoping
Deng Xiaoping has always maintained a basically healthy state in his later years. However, in his last few years, he suffered from Parkinson's disease and developed hand tremors.
Although the medical team tried their best to research ways to alleviate the symptoms, they did not stop the symptoms from becoming more severe as time went by, so that they had to give up their decades-long hobby of playing bridge .
Deng Xiaoping's hobby of playing bridge was learned in Sichuan not long after the founding of the People's Republic of China. For Deng Xiaoping, playing bridge was a way for him to rest his brain. Only when playing bridge could he allow himself to think about nothing. Just devote yourself to the process of playing cards.
Old-fashioned bridge
As a revolutionary, Deng Xiaoping also applied his enterprising spirit to the hobby of bridge. He said:
"When you play cards, you have to play against the masters, and you will feel happy even if you lose."
But in his later years, Parkinson's disease As the attacks became more frequent, Deng Xiaoping found it increasingly difficult to hold bridge with his hands.
Under the persuasion of the staff, he finally decisively gave up his hobby of playing bridge. From then on, the fun of life was mainly in reading newspapers, watching TV, and chatting with his family.
Deng Xiaoping
Deng Xiaoping was not only amiable and humorous when chatting with his family, but also the same when talking to the medical workers around him.
An amiable retired cadre
Deng Xiaoping's status as a cadre made it inevitable that medical staff would be a little nervous when examining him. Deng Xiaoping understood the mood of medical staff, so he tried his best to take care of their emotions every time he performed an examination.
In order to make the other party relax, he would sometimes smile and say to the staff who were doing the examination: "Am I very obedient?" The humorous language immediately made the other party relax.
When encountering any situation during the inspection, Deng Xiaoping would first try to reassure the medical staff.
Deng Xiaoping
Sometimes during examination or treatment, certain operations made Deng Xiaoping feel temporarily uncomfortable. When the medical staff noticed it, they would quickly stop. Before the doctor could ask Deng Xiaoping how he felt, Deng Xiaoping would often first comfort the doctor: "I'm fine. I'm fine, you can continue."
These words and deeds of Deng Xiaoping made the medical staff not feel that he was a senior cadre who once led a country, but just like an ordinary patient.
Not only doctors and nurses had such feelings about Deng Xiaoping, but also chefs who had cooked for Deng Xiaoping had no sense that Deng Xiaoping had any airs.
Comrade Xiaoping's meals have always been very simple. At the breakfast table, a bowl of rice porridge, a steamed bun and a plate of pickles were often Deng Xiaoping's standard dishes.
Deng Xiaoping
Even when he was ill and hospitalized, the hospital provided Deng Xiaoping with nutritious meals. His requirements were only steamed buns, side dishes and rice porridge. At most, he wanted to eat a poached egg occasionally, which was considered an improvement in his diet.
The medical staff couldn't help but sigh that Deng Xiaoping's nutritious meals were just the daily meals for ordinary workers.
The reason why Deng Xiaoping became one of the rare old people in the political world is not only because he followed a regular life schedule and insisted on exercising, but also because he was able to maintain an optimistic and positive attitude towards all difficulties, gains and losses.
Former German Chancellor Kohl once asked Deng Xiaoping for the secret of longevity. Deng Xiaoping replied heartily:
"If there is any secret, it is that I have always been optimistic. Even if the sky falls, I will not be afraid, because there are tall people." Hold on. ”
Deng Xiaoping
Deng Xiaoping’s optimism is not only reflected in his attitude towards life, but also in the satisfaction of personal needs.
Deng Xiaoping has always had the habit of smoking and drinking. Before his retirement, when he was busy at work, he would smoke an average of one pack of cigarettes a day. In his spare time or when meeting guests, he would pick up a match, light a cigarette and smoke it.
At various banquets, Deng Xiaoping was also known for his good drinking capacity. No matter how much he drank, no one ever saw him appear drunk.
In his later years, as his body functions declined, the probability of illness increased. For the sake of Comrade Xiaoping's health, doctors and nurses solemnly advised him to quit smoking and drinking.
Under normal circumstances, for an old man who has maintained the habit of smoking and drinking for most of his life, it is extremely difficult to quit these two things. Even if he can quit temporarily, an occasional stimulus may cause a rebound.
Deng Xiaoping
But for Deng Xiaoping, it seemed that there was no difficulty. Deng Xiaoping's process of quitting smoking surprised the medical staff. He did not need to make a slow transition, but stopped smoking if he said he didn't want to smoke. And even if he put the cigarette in front of him, he would stop smoking. He was also completely unmoved.
It only took a few months for Deng Xiaoping to quit drinking. He changed from drinking white wine to drinking rice wine, and then slowly drank less and less until he finally stopped drinking.
Deng Xiaoping was a person who loved life. Even if life was not accompanied by tobacco and alcohol, he could still live a life full of flavor and fun.
Swimming, bridge, chatting, watching TV and other activities filled Deng Xiaoping's retirement time in his later years, making him rarely feel lonely and lonely.
Deng Xiaoping
Although he has retired, Deng Xiaoping's personal influence still exists. Even though he has announced that he will no longer receive foreign guests, many foreign dignitaries or international friends still express their hope to meet Deng Xiaoping when they come to China.
Deng Xiaoping left all these foreign affairs to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and he rarely received foreign guests.
The only exception was the arrival of North Korean leader Kim Il Sung.
The last meeting with old friend Kim Il Sung
Deng Xiaoping and Kim Il Sung have been old friends for many years. As early as 1953, when Kim Il Sung visited China for the first time, Deng Xiaoping accompanied him almost throughout the whole process. When they first met, they met each other. Left a good impression.
In 1958, Kim Il Sung visited China again. Deng Xiaoping, Chairman Mao and Premier Zhou accompanied him to receive him, and Deng Xiaoping was finally responsible for seeing off the North Korean delegation.
Premier Zhou
In the years that followed, Kim Il Sung visited China many times. Almost every time, Deng Xiaoping participated in or hosted the reception. After many years of interaction, the two became good friends. Deng Xiaoping also led him to visit China in 1982. Kim Il Sung went to his hometown in Sichuan to listen to Sichuan opera and eat Sichuan food.
Not only was Kim Il Sung personally accompanied by Deng Xiaoping almost every time he came to China, but Deng Xiaoping also led a delegation to visit North Korea in 1962 and received warm hospitality from Kim Il Sung.
In 1991, Kim Il Sung visited China again. At this time, Deng Xiaoping had retired, and Kim Il Sung was also very old. In his twilight years, he hoped to see his old friend Deng Xiaoping again.
As soon as Deng Xiaoping, who had no longer met foreign guests, heard that Kim Il Sung wanted to meet him, the memories of the two of them getting along for many years came back to his mind. He also wanted to see his old friend again, so He happily agreed to Kim Il Sung's request.
Kim Il-sung
Kim Il-sung's visit to China comes against the backdrop of the international situationupheaval. Great changes have taken place in Eastern Europe, the Soviet Union has disintegrated, and China and South Korea are also preparing to establish diplomatic relations.
Therefore, Kim Il Sung requested an interview with Deng Xiaoping not only because he wanted to see his old friend, but also because he wanted to exchange opinions with Deng Xiaoping on some future development issues.
On October 5, 1991, Deng Xiaoping came to the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse and met Kim Il-sung, who had been waiting here in advance. They were very happy to meet old friends and expressed their greetings with handshakes and hugs.
Because Deng Xiaoping had retired at this time, he strictly followed organizational disciplines and only treated this meeting as a private meeting. He did not publish it in newspapers, take photos, or make promotional videos.
Deng Xiaoping
The conversation between the two lasted for an hour, accompanied only by their respective translators and Deng Xiaoping's daughter Deng Rong.
When the two talked about the changes in the international situation, Kim Il Sung said with some disappointment: "The power of the socialist camp is weakening."
Deng Xiaoping said confidently:
"Although the international communist movement is now We are at a low ebb, but as long as our socialist countries vigorously develop their economies and continue to strengthen themselves, we will surely be able to usher in a bright future."
These words inspired Kim Il Sung and made him full of confidence in the future of the socialist country.
Deng Xiaoping
This meeting became the last meeting between Deng Xiaoping and his old friend Kim Il Sung, and it was also the last time Deng Xiaoping met with foreign guests.
In the next few years, what made him break the usual pattern of his later life was not only for health reasons, but also for major events related to the future of the country's reform and opening up.
In 1992, the international situation was not yet stable, and some people in China still questioned the reform. With the accuracy of the opening up, the retired Deng Xiaoping carried out his last inspection in his life.
The entire inspection process lasted for more than a month from January 18 to February 21. Wuchang , Shanghai, Shenzhen and Zhuhai and other places, and delivered a series of important speeches on development, reform and opening up, known in history as the Southern Tour Speeches, establishing the country's development strategy of adhering to reform and opening up
Deng Xiaoping's Southern Tour
This time. After his speech, Deng Xiaoping rarely appeared in public. For the sake of his health, he would leave Beijing for Shanghai almost every winter, accompanied by medical staff and family members.
Even if he went to Shanghai to spend the winter to recuperate, he would still take time to inspect. The development of Shanghai's reform and opening up.
During the Spring Festival in 1994, Deng Xiaoping inspected the Pudong Bridge accompanied by Shanghai municipal leaders, which was recorded by the television media. This inspection became Deng Xiaoping's last public appearance.
In early 1997, Deng Xiaoping's The body suffered from various complications caused by Parkinson's disease, including difficulty breathing and difficulty swallowing.
Deng Xiaoping
It was approaching the Spring Festival, and the sound of firecrackers was occasionally heard in the streets outside the hospital, and the medical staff in the ward. We worked day and night to treat Deng Xiaoping.
Everyone hoped that this old man who brought the spring breeze of reform to the land of China would be able to successfully welcome the spring of next year with everyone, but in the end, after about a month of hard work, we still couldn't keep him. The old man.
At 21:08 on February 19, 1997, the great man Deng Xiaoping left the Chinese people forever, and the whole country mourned him.
Deng Xiaoping’s memorial meeting
According to the old man’s last wish, the funeral was kept very low-key:
No body was held. In the farewell ceremony, the cornea was donated and the body was used for medical anatomy research. After the body was cremated, the family scattered the ashes into the sea.
