Carpenter's apprentice who became a Red Army commander, then ran China's finances for decades as finance minister and vice premier. He was President of the PRC from 1983 to 1988 and one of the party's "Eight Elders".
His home county in Hubei, 黄安, was renamed 红安, 'red peace', in 1952. It is nicknamed the 将军县, 'county of generals': over 200 PLA generals came from it, and two heads of state, 董必武 and Li himself.