(24 Feb 1997) Mandarin/Nat Thousands of people lined the streets of Beijing early Monday to bid a final farewell to their supreme leader, Deng Xiaoping, who died last Wednesday, aged 92. Ten thousand people are expected to attend Deng's memorial service in Beijing's Great Hall of the People Tuesday, following Monday's cremation. No foreign dignitaries have been invited to the funeral. A solemn cortege left Beijing's 301 Military Peoples' Hospital in the early hours of Monday, carrying Deng Xiaoping to his final resting place. Family members and top officials had paid their final respects to the deceased leader in a private ceremony held at the hospital. Outside, thousands of people lined the streets to catch a final glimpse of the solemn procession as it headed towards the Babaoshan cemetery. The mourners watched in silence, few displayed any emotion. Tokens of respect were, however, evident. Beijing residents honoured their dead leader with portraits. Some people turned up wearing black armbands of mourning. Others gathered along the road, decorating trees with white paper flowers. Many said they had been sent by their work units. Security was tight; armed police in dress uniforms were deployed at five metre (yard) intervals along the 2.5 kilometre (1 mile) route from the hospital to the crematorium. Deng's family had requested a simple, low-key send-off. A formidable figure in Chinese history, Deng's absence will, nevertheless, be acutely felt among those who witnessed his transformation of China from a feudal backwater into a dynamic first-rate economy. Deng's capitalist-style economic reforms transformed the lives of millions of ordinary Chinese beyond recognition. SOUNDBITE: (Mandarin) I'm feeling extremely sad, as are all the people in the country, because of Deng Xiaoping's death. SUPER CAPTION: Beijing resident. SOUNDBITE: (Mandarin) He has made huge contributions to our country and people. He has devoted all his life to the country and we think it's a great pity that he left so early without seeing the return of Hong Kong. SUPER CAPTION: Beijing resident. SOUNDBITE: (Mandarin) I'm sorry, I am too sad to say anything. SUPER CAPTION: Beijing resident. Many elderly people, who saw Deng's rise to power over some of the most tumultuous decades in Chinese history, are especially saddened by his departure. SOUNDBITE: (Mandarin) He is such a good man. SUPER CAPTION: Beijing resident. Before being turned into ashes, Deng's body was displayed in a glass coffin in Beijing's Number Two "Farewell Hall". Even as the hearse passed to its final destination at the crematorium, some mourners felt Deng should have been immortalised in the same manner as his predecessor, Chairman Mao. Mao - the father of the Communist People's Republic - has been embalmed and preserved in a crystal coffin on public display. SOUNDBITE: We sincerely believe that his body should be kept in a crystal coffin forever, so that people can see him forever. SUPER CAPTION: Beijing resident. A casket containing Deng's ashes will be covered by the red Communist flag for the memorial, which marks the last day of a six-day mourning period. His ashes will be scattered at sea. You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/b285733c3697b1d33aab83d692b2bb25 Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork