On January 27, Zhao Ziyang’s Funeral Arrangement Group notified those who offered condolences at Fuqiang Alley (Zhao’s residence), through telephone and news briefs, to pick up entry tickets to Zhao’s farewell ceremony. The tickets were available from 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the convention center on the eighth floor of the Beijing Jintai Hotel in Xicheng District. The farewell ceremony is scheduled for Saturday, January 29. News spread quickly through word of mouth and the Jintai Hotel became a focus point in Beijing instantly.

By 3:00 p.m., those who entered the hotel were anxious and hurried. There were men and women, young and old, government officials, and assorted common people. They came here with one wish: to obtain the entry ticket, and to get there in a hurry, before they were all gone. The elevator was busy and some did not want to wait for the elevator but rather climbed the stairs.

Both inside and outside the eighth floor conference room, people had only enough space to stand as they waited to ask for a ticket. Although it was estimated that there were as many as several thousand people, the atmosphere remained respectful. People waited silently, sharing the same mood. Some people were crying silently while others whispered among themselves. All waited patiently.

Inside the 430 square feet conference room, the crowd waited earnestly with their eyes fixed on a computer screen, hoping to see their name appear soon. When an individual would see his or her name, he or she would let out a long sigh. Then, the person who got the ticket would leave immediately.

Stacks and stacks of name lists were placed on the staff's desks. When someone identified him or herself, a worker must look for the list check it against the computer. The efficiency seemed very low.

A field worker, who identified himself as a schoolmate of Zhao’s son from Henan province, said he came to offer help with the ticketing process. He said that they didn’t decide to release the tickets to the public until 2:00 a.m. on the Jan. 27. The work was very intense and busy. The list to receive released tickets was based on the signature list of those who went to Fuqiang Alley to offer condolences. After going through the national security department and the public security department’s review, the final list was enterd into the computer. Then, those who were in the name list were contacted.

Some people asked why their names were not in the list. There were also some who did leave their names, address and telephone numbers when offering condolences at Zhao’s residence, and so were not on the list to be notified. The staff there explained that the name list was given to them only after review by related national departments, and it could have errors. Some names were removed, including those who had previously appealed to the government, college students, the politically “sensitive” names and their family members.

One person broke out, “What? Why are you denying our request to attend the ceremony? This is our right! You allowed all of us to come here to wait for the tickets, and this whole scenario is such an unheard-of absurdity! What’s wrong with our government? Why is our government always so discriminatory towards the common people? I'm really angry about this! Tell us all to leave. Tell us all to leave, and you’ll see what good that does. I am not leaving today until I get my admission ticket.” As soon as he finished talking, six or seven national guards came appeared, took pictures of him, and threatened him.

Several peasants from the countryside who had come to Beijing to appeal to the central government were also waiting for the tickets. When the worker said that their names were not on the list, they were very disappointed, and some cried out in dismay. The staff there and some of those in the waiting lines quickly went over to comfort them and explain the issue further. Some told them that they could still go even if they didn't have tickets; they could still bit farewell to Mr. Zhao Ziyang by standing on the road, standing at the doorway, or standing alongside Zhangan Road, the main street that runs through the heart of Beijing and in front of Tiananmen Square.

A person who looked like a retired government official stepped out from the crowd and interjected a remark, “Wouldn’t that be a very grand scene? Just because a person is not invited to enter into the assembly to view his remains in person, one’s sincerity would show. More people should go, and not be incensed at this. After all, there are a limited amount of tickets. So, we should still go, and we must go.”

Later on, after expressing appreciation, the peasants went downstairs and left with tears. Many in the crowd expressed sympathy and sighed as the peasants walked by.

A staff member rushed out to apologize to the peasants. They explained that it was the government officials higher up who cut down the name list that the staff submitted. They explained that the staff were working under the direction of their supervisors and had no authority in the matter. The staff explained that they couldn’t even go to the farewell ceremony themselves.