Ceremony held to commemorate China’s Martyrs’ Day

World Today

Today marks Martyrs’ Day in China. A commemoration ceremony has been held at Tiananmen Square in the capital Beijing to honor and remember deceased national heroes. 

CCTV America’s Ding Siyue has more.

Honoring those who lost their lives fighting for national independence and prosperity, the ceremony started with the national anthem.

President Xi Jinping, standing with other top leaders and representatives from all walks of life, sang the anthem together.

And then, a silent and respectful minute for the heroes. 

President Xi Jinping and top leaders laid flower baskets in tribute and walked around the monument.

They were joined by thousands of representatives of veterans’ and martyrs’ families, and others. 

They paid respect to those who sacrificed their lives for China’s independence and liberation from the First Opium War in 1840, to the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949. 

September 30th was designated as Martyrs’ Day in 2014, in order to honor those heroes, who paid the ultimate price for national independence and the freedom and well-being of the Chinese people.