Death of Zhou Enlai
| Part of Official portrait, 1950s | |
| Date | January 8, 1976 |
|---|---|
| Time | 9:57 Beijing time |
| Duration | January 8th to 15th, 1976 |
| Location | People's Republic of China Beijing People's Liberation Army 305th Hospital |
Zhou Enlai, one of the principal founders and top leaders of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and the People's Republic of China, died at 9:57 a.m. on January 8, 1976, at the age of 78, from bladder cancer at the 305 Hospital in Beijing. At the time of his death, he held several major positions, including Vice Chairman of the Chinese Communist Party, Premier of the State Council, and Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. Zhou's death marked a pivotal moment in Chinese politics, triggering an outpouring of public mourning, exposing deep political divisions within the CCP, and setting in motion a chain of events that culminated in the Tiananmen Incident of April 1976.