Mandarin/Nat The Chinese government has announced its paramount leader Deng Xiaoping died on Wednesday night at the age of 92. The death occurred just after 9 p.m. local time (1300 GMT / 0800 EST). Deng initiated a number of wide ranging economic programmes that transformed China into a modern industrial state. APTV travelled to Deng's birthplace, now undergoing widespread changes as a result of the reforms. This is the rural province of Sichuan. In 1904 Deng Xiaoping was born here in the village of Paifang -- 14-hundred kilometres (850 miles) from the capital, Beijing. Deng's family was part of the local landlord elite. His father was one of the wealthiest men in the area and the political head of the village. The family had a long tradition of scholarship and public service dating back many years. Deng's father kept him away from manual labour, educating him in the hope a good career. Deng's birthplace, the family residence, is now a museum in his honour. It is an elaborate compound on a hill at the edge of Paifang village. The museum was opened in 1982 and attracts about 300 to 400 visitors every day. The house remains much as it was when Deng was a child here, but now it is full of mementos of his political career. Visitors can view photos of Deng as a student in France, fighting the Japanese and Nationalists in China and climbing the ranks of the Communist Party, in the shadow of Mao Tse-Tung. For some older Chinese, the trip to the museum is like a pilgrimage -- bringing back memories of a bygone era of revolution. But younger visitors take a more realistic view, praising the reforms launched by Deng 19 years ago. SOUNDBITE: (Mandarin) "Deng Xiaoping represents a period of time in our history. He just looked at the society in a very foresighted way, but we shouldn't regard him as a pillar of our country and think everything will crumble when he disappears." SUPER CAPTION: Lu Jian, student, 21-year-old Deng rejected the cult of personality that his predecessor, Mao Tse-Tung, encouraged. Despite this, inside his birthplace, a souvenir stand sells pins, medallions and photographs of Deng -- one of the few places such items can be found. The people of Paifang are full of admiration for their favourite son. SOUNDBITE: (Mandarin) "Of course we are different from the people out there. We are the people of the home village of Chairman Deng." SUPER CAPTION: Li Ming Quan, Paifang resident, 63-years-old Although the village seems neglected -- with many dilapidated streets -- new buildings like this school are appearing. And the area surrounding the village now bustles with economic activity. Nearby Guang'an City where Deng attended school has been transformed as more and more high-rise buildings are constructed. But now the thought on most Chinese minds is how much their livelihoods will be affected by the political changes following Deng's death. You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/9d5bfc95ee591f2f32db3d41cff06e1f Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork