On April 15, 1989, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Central Committee issued an obituary announcing the death of former CCP General Secretary, Hu Yaobang.

Hu Yaobang was born in Liuyang, Hunan Province, in 1915. In 1982, he served as General Secretary of the CCP Central Committee, advocating political and economic reforms. After the 1986 student movement, Hu Yaobang was criticized by the CCP old guard for "not taking a clear-cut stand and not having a firm attitude against bourgeois liberalization". He was forced to resign as a result.

After Hu stepped down, China's reforms came to a standstill. In 1988, the Central Committee tried to push for "price reforms" to resolve the economic chaos. However, before the reforms had even been implemented, large-scale panic buying started to occur in many places, causing the reforms to be stuck, unable to move forward. In addition, civic voices criticizing the government were getting louder and louder. Furthermore, the ongoing protests in eastern Europe's communist countries had greatly inspired the Chinese intellectuals. By April 1989, in Beijing was an uneasy powderkeg.

On April 15, after the news of Hu Yaobang's death spread, elegiac couplets, slogans, and big-character posters of mourning and venting of discontent appeared in many places. At about 8 o'clock in the evening, the first small wreath appeared in front of the Monument to the People's Heroes. Writings such as "Comrade Hu Yaobang, a true Chinese communist warrior, shall last eternally" and "We will always miss you, with condolences, Gu Baozhong" could also be seen. After this point, the people turned from mourning to protesting; the situation became even more intense. This day became the fuse that set off the 1989 democracy movement.

References: Zhang Wanshu, "The Big Bang of History: A Complete Record of the June 4th Incident"; Yang Jisheng, "Political Struggles During the Age of Reform in China"; Louisa Lim, "The People's Republic of Amnesia: Tiananmen Revisited"; "A Compilation of Important Chinese Communist Party Historical Documents"