. ▁ ▁Following ▁the ▁Commun ist ▁victory ▁of ▁ 1 9 4 9 , ▁Lü ▁served ▁as ▁a ▁senior ▁military ▁leader ▁of ▁the ▁P RC . ▁He ▁was ▁appointed ▁as ▁a ▁Shang ▁Ji ang ▁( general ) ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 5 ▁following ▁the ▁re - est ab lish ment ▁of ▁rank . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 5 , ▁to ▁support ▁the ▁return ▁of ▁the ▁crit ically ▁end anger ed ▁P ère ▁David ' s ▁de er ▁to ▁China , ▁Lü ▁Zh eng ca o ▁helped ▁found ▁and ▁chair ▁the ▁China ▁Mil u ▁Foundation , ▁now ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁China ▁B iod iversity ▁Conserv ation ▁and ▁Green ▁Development ▁Foundation . ▁ ▁On ▁ 1 3 ▁October ▁ 2 0 0 9 , ▁Lü ▁died ▁in ▁Be ij ing ▁at ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁ 1 0 5 ▁by ▁Western ▁age ▁reck oning , ▁or ▁at ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁ 1 0 6 ▁by ▁the ▁traditional ▁age ▁system . ▁At ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁his ▁death , ▁he ▁was ▁the ▁last ▁surv iv or ▁of ▁the ▁original ▁gener als ▁of ▁the ▁People ' s ▁Liber ation ▁Army . ▁ ▁References ▁ ▁External ▁links ▁Last ▁of ▁New ▁China ' s ▁first ▁gener als ▁passes ▁away ▁- ▁Ob itu ary ▁from ▁X in h ua ▁ ▁Lu ▁Zh eng ca o ▁- ▁Daily ▁Te legraph ▁ob itu ary ▁ ▁Category : 1 9 0 5 ▁birth s ▁Category : 2 0 0 9 ▁death s ▁Category : Pe ople ' s ▁Liber ation ▁Army ▁gener