70th Founding Anniversary of China

President Xi Jinping and other leaders of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the state paid tribute to deceased national heroes at Tian’anmen Square Monday morning.

BEIJING, Chinese President  Xi Jinping and other leaders of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the state paid tribute to deceased national heroes at Tian’anmen Square Monday morning.

The other leaders included Li Keqiang, Li Zhanshu, Wang Yang, Wang Huning, Zhao Leji, Han Zheng and Wang Qishan.

The event was held on Martyrs’ Day, on the eve of National Day. This year marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China.

More than 4,000 representatives from all walks of life gathered in front of the Monument to the People’s Heroes at Tian’anmen Square, including elderly veterans and retired senior officials, relatives of martyrs, honorees of national medals and honorary titles, participants to a Sept. 27 gathering to honor national role models for ethnic unity and progress, as well as students and children.

A military band played trumpets to commemorate the martyrs.

At 10 a.m., all participants sang the national anthem and then paid a silent tribute to those who devoted their lives to the liberation of the Chinese people and the construction of the People’s Republic of China, which was founded in 1949.

The foundation stone of the Monument to the People’s Heroes was laid on Sept. 30, 1949. In 2014, China’s top legislature approved Sept. 30 as Martyrs’ Day to commemorate those who sacrificed their lives for national independence and prosperity.