The death of Mao marked an end of an era and according to Wood (2020), a major turning point in China’s history. He describes the final years of Mao as one of increasing isolation, as both his health and political influence waned. There must have been some among the populace that viewed these developments with relief, and those that were anticipating the worst. In the end, his death fulfilled both expectations. Following his death in 1976, China was left with a power vacuum, within which more moderate leaders like Hua Guofeng filled. Within a month, the Gang of Four, who were widely blamed for the excesses and violence of the Cultural Revolution, were arrested. To many, this symbolised a significant shift away from the past (“Only after the death of Mao and the arrest of the ‘Gang’ in 1976, was the GCPR [Cultural Revolution] truly over”; MacFarquhar & Schoenhals, 2006). According to Wood, the country was suspended between grief and hope. For its leaders, they had to deal with the question of how to proceed. Spence (1990) writes,