Chen Zhaodi’s Funeral held at East Hall, Babaoshan

      The Chinese traditional All Soul’s Day is an occasion for mourning. This year the Day was witnessing a tearful farewell to a famous general. On 5th April, Chen Zhaodi’s funeral was held at the East Hall at Babaoshan. Leaders and personages including the member of the Central Military Commission and concurrent Director of the General Political Department Zhang Yang, the former member of the Central Military Commission and Director of the General Political Department Li Jinai, Former head of the State Sports General Administration Yuan Weimin, members of the former women’s volleyball team as well as individuals from various circles attended the service paid their last respects to Chen Zhaodi’s remains.

on 5^th April, Chen Zhaodi’s funeral was held at the East Hall at Babaoshan   ( photo by Yuan Fan )

     The sedate funeral music lingered around the East Hall at Babaoshan. A black banner saying Deeply Mourn Comrade Chen Zhaodi’s Loss was hung right at the front of the mourning hall. Floral wreathes and twigs of pine and cypress have been placed around the portrait of the deceased in her military uniform. The remains of Chen Zhaodi were peacefully resting on the flowering shrubs and were covered with the flag of the Party. The former top player of the former national team, a famous general had concluded her journey. The curtain of her life falls.

 Floral wreathes and twigs of pine and cypress have been placed around the portrait of the deceased in her military uniform

( photo by Yuan Fan )

       Chen was a renowned national top player of volleyball, an excellent sportswoman and one of the representatives of the spirit of hard struggle of the Chinese Women’s Volleyball Team. Chen joined the Zhejiang Provincial Women’s Volleyball Team in October 1970, and was recruited by the team of athletes in training at Beijing Institute of Physical Education in April 1971. Two years later, she was enlisted in the army in April, served at the Bayi Sports Work Team of the PLA, and was selected into the national women’s volleyball team as the setter and the aid, in June. She was acclaimed for being politically reliable, persistent, diligent and professionally skillful in an all-round way. She broke her radius in the match against Japanese Women’s Volleyball Team, with the help of bandages she continued to take part in the game for more than two months, which earned her the title of one-armed general. She is the top player and the politically key member of the national team. She made important contribution to the national team’s remarkable successes including the champion of Asia in 1979, the World Cup champion in 1981, the winner of the World Championships and champion in the Asian Games in 1982. She had thus become the core member of the national team in a bid to reach the international level. Chen Zhaodi served as the head coach of the Chinese Young Women’s Volleyball Team in which position she led the Team gained the first place at the Asian Young Women's Volleyball Championships, and the third place at the World Young Women’s Volleyball Championships. Under Chen Zhaodi’s training, a number of athletes became extraordinary players in the field of volleyball; they are Lai Yawen, Cui Yongmei, Mao Wuyang, Li Yunwu and many others. She served as the leader of the national volleyball team and was known for being board in management and strict in training. She joined the member of the team to exercise and fight. She passed on the spirit and excellent tradition of hard struggle to younger athletes in the team. Under Chen Zhaodi’s leadership, the National Team of Chinese Women’s Volleyball won successively the third place at the 1989 World Cup, the champion of the 1989 Asian Championships, the champion at the 1990 World Championships and Asian Games, the second place at the 1991 World Cup and the Champion at the 1991 Asian Championships.

The remains of Chen Zhaodi were peacefully resting on the flowering shrubs and were covered with the flag of the Party

( photo by Yuan Fan )

Former head of the States Sports General Administration Yuan Weimin, members of the former national women’s volleyball team pay their last respects to Chen Zhaodi   ( photo by Yuan Fan )

      As an excellent leader, Chen Zhaodi had made importance contribution to the cultural and sports development. During her service at the General Political Department and the Ministry of Communication, she gave full play to her expertise in sports, leading her team taking part in various international competitions. In the face of complicated situation, she remained clear-headed and firmly stood. Through orderly management, the team fulfilled its task with excellence. Under Chen Zhaodi’s instruction, the sports team from the military took part in the National Games twice, gaining 23 golden medals in total; in Olympic Games for three times, wining 4 golden medals; in the World Soldiers Games for three times and 45 golden medals. Athletes of her teams won 57 world champions in total. In a bid to the new change of the strategic overall plan of the national sports, she actively took measures to reform the categories of the sports, optimizing the structure of the team, widening the training channels for the backup athletes in military, gaining for the military athletes the national security, which together led to the increasing competitiveness of the sports of the military. Chen Zhaodi initiated the army-wide conference on basic level cultural building, formulating the Temporary Provisions of the Basic Level Cultural Building of the Army which resulted in great development in the management of cultural facilities, cultural activities, and basic level club building. The reforms she carried out proved to be magnificent in the history of the cultural building of the army. Chen Zhaodi thus made extraordinary contribution to the cultural and sports advancement at the grass roots level of the army. During her service at the General Political Department of the PLA, she had dong her part cautiously and conscientiously, with great sense of responsibility. She was an important contributor to promoting the political building and the construction of the Party conduct.

Yuan Weimin extends his regards to the fanily     ( photo by Yuan Fan )

      As a famous personage, Chen Zhaodi also played a remarkable part in burnishing the image of the nation and in promoting the social harmony. In May 2008, Comrade Chen Zhaodi was appointed as the liaison representative of the PLA and theInternational Committee of the Red Cross, taking part in the founding of the China National Committee for International Law of Humanity, and was elected the managing director. Chen Zhaodi also wore the hat of vice chairman of China International Cultural Communication Center. She worked enthusiastically to push the Chinese culture towards the world, lifting the influence and competiveness of the nation, contributing positively to the cause of culture and sports and to international exchanges.

Members of the former women’s volleyball team pay their tribute   ( photo by Yuan Fan )

     In the funeral hall, the former leader of the national team Cao Huiying burst into tears in front of Chen’s portrait. “You left us. You have been excellent in sports, in military as well. It is a shame that you left us too early. You were a good comrade in arms, good sister and I wish we could still be in next life.” Other members of the team, including Sun Jinfang, Zhang Rongfang, Lang Ping, Chen Yaqiong, Yang Xi, Liang Yan, Zhu Ling, Li Yanjun, Zhou Lumin, Hou Yuzhu, Zhang Jieyun, Yin Qin, Lai Yawen, friends and connections from the sports, such as basketball stars Liu Yudong, Wang Zhizhi, A Dijiang, Zheng Haixi, came forth in tears to say goodbye to Chen’s remains. The daughter of the deceased Guo Cheng appeared in her mother’s favorite military uniform. Many fans came to the funeral voluntarily, paying their last respects to Chen Zhaodi with flowers. They agreed that the quality and work style of the form national women’s team of volleyball was unique to that age. It represented the very character of the Chinese nation. It was admirable, respectable and unforgettable.

Many fans came to the funeral voluntarily, paying their last respects to Chen Zhaodi with flowers   ( photo by Yuan Fan )

      Leaders from the PLA General Political Department, such as Hua Nan, Zhou Ziyu, Yuan Shoufang, Zhang Shutian, Jia Ting’an, Du Jingcai, Wu Changde, Yin Fanglong, personages from other walks of life like Liu Xiaojiang, Wang Zhaohai, Wang Suntai attended the event.