Hua Guofeng, former Chinese premier and acting chairman of the Communist Party, passed away on August 20, 2008 at the age of 87. Born on 16 February 1921 in Xiangtan, Hunan Province, Hua became a prominent figure in Chinese politics after his participation in the Long March, a decadelong retreat undertaken by the Red Army of the Communist Party of China during the 1930s. In 1959, he was appointed Secretary of the Communist Party in Hunan Province, and he remained in this position for the next 17 years. Upon assuming the role of premier of the State Council of the People's Republic of China in 1976, Hua implemented a range of economic and social policies. He was instrumental in launching the country's open-door economic reforms that led to rapid growth for the next three decades. In 1976 after the death of Mao Zedong, Hua was appointed as his successor, following a period of political upheaval known as the Gang of Four. Hua remained in power until 1981, when he was replaced by Deng Xiaoping. Hua's contributions to the People's Republic of China helped to transform the nation into one of the world's most powerful economies. He is remembered as a leader who sought to reconcile humanist values with Marxist-Leninist ideology.