Martyrs' Day ceremony of presenting flower baskets to fallen national heroes held in Beijing

A ceremony presenting flower baskets to fallen national heroes to mark the Martyrs' Day is held in Tian'anmen Square in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 30, 2023. (Xinhua/Yue Yuewei)

BEIJING, Oct. 1 (Xinhua) -- Flowers are presented to heroes, as their spirit lives forever. A ceremony of presenting flower baskets to China's fallen national heroes was held on Saturday morning at Tian'anmen Square, Beijing, to mark the country's Martyrs' Day. Leaders of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the state including Xi Jinping, Li Qiang, Zhao Leji, Wang Huning, Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang, Li Xi and Han Zheng, joined representatives from all walks of life to attend the event.

It is the 10th Martyrs' Day since it was set in 2014. At the grand Tian'anmen Square, a bright Five-Star Red Flag flies high. In the center of the square, a huge display in the shape of a flower basket is placed, with words in it reading "Best wishes to the motherland," expressing the wishes for a more prosperous and stronger China. The Monument to the People's Heroes stands majestically. Eighteen wreaths composed of white chrysanthemums and other flowers on two groups of flower beds on the north side of the monument convey all Chinese people's deep memories of the fallen national heroes.

As the clock was about to strike 10, Party and state leaders including Xi Jinping, Li Qiang, Zhao Leji, Wang Huning, Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang, Li Xi and Han Zheng arrived to attend the ceremony.

The band of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) played the trumpets, blowing the "Martyrs' Day Bugle."

"Guards of honor on your marks!" At the word of the command, the PLA's guards of honor marched to the front of the monument with parade steps and stood still, holding their guns.

At 10 a.m., the ceremony commenced. The military band played the national anthem "The March of the Volunteers," and all participants sang to the tune.

They paid a tribute of silence to the martyrs who devoted themselves to the liberation of the Chinese people and the development of the People's Republic of China.

After that, a group of children holding flowers in their hands and facing the monument sang the song "We Are Communist Successors," and saluted to the monument as Young Pioneers.

In front of the formations, nine large flower baskets were placed in a line in the names of the CPC Central Committee; the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress; the State Council; the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference; the Central Military Commission; the non-CPC parties, the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce and patriotic personages without party affiliation; people's organizations and the people from all walks of life; veterans, retired senior officials and relatives of the martyrs; and the Chinese Young Pioneers. "Eternal Glory to the People's Heroes," read the eye-catching characters in the red ribbons hung on the flower baskets.

As the military band played the soulful "Flower Presenting Melody," 18 guards of honor steadily lifted the flower baskets, walked slowly to the monument and laid them on the pedestal.

Xi and other leaders of the Party and the state walked up to the pedestal and stopped in front of the flower baskets. Blossoming lilies, bright-colored anthuriums, and fragrant oncidiums ... all were telling people's cherished memory of and sincere respect for the deceased heroes.

Taking a few steps forward, Xi carefully straightened the ribbons on the baskets and led other leaders in a walk around the monument to pay tribute.

From a new historical starting point, the 20th CPC National Congress has drawn an ambitious blueprint for realizing the Second Centenary Goal of building China into a great modern socialist country in all respects and advancing the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts through a Chinese path to modernization, sounding a clarion call of the times for forging ahead on a new journey. Under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, inheriting the spirit of the martyrs and drawing on strength from it, the Party, the armed forces and the people of all ethnic groups are now marching on the new journey in confident strides, striving relentlessly for the building of a strong country and national rejuvenation.

Children and representatives from all walks of life walked up to the front of the monument, laid flowers and paid tribute.

The ceremony was presided over by Yin Li, a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and secretary of the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee.

Members of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, members of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee, some vice chairpersons of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, state councilors, president of the Supreme People's Court, procurator-general of the Supreme People's Procuratorate, some vice chairpersons of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, and members of the Central Military Commission attended the ceremony.

Those who attended the ceremony also included leading officials from central authorities and the Beijing Municipal Government, leaders of the central committees of the non-CPC parties and the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce, representatives of personages without party affiliation, representatives of veterans, retired senior officials and relatives of the martyrs in Beijing, representatives of recipients of national medals and honorary titles in Beijing, representatives of ethnic minorities from across China and representatives from all walks of life in the capital.