1st October 2023 – (Beijing) On Saturday morning, Chinese President Xi Jinping and other leaders of the Communist Party of China (CPC) gathered in Tian’anmen Square in Beijing to pay tribute to fallen national heroes on the occasion of China’s 10th Martyrs’ Day.
At 10am on 30th September, Xi and other CPC leaders joined participants in singing the national anthem, followed by a moment of silence to honor the heroes who sacrificed their lives for the liberation of the Chinese people and the establishment of the People’s Republic of China.
People from all walks of life, including veterans, retired officials, and martyrs’ relatives, as well as members of the Chinese Young Pioneers, presented flower baskets and bouquets as a tribute to the martyrs.
In front of the Monument to the People’s Heroes, a large flower basket with the words “Bless the Motherland” was displayed, symbolising the approaching 74th National Day celebrations.
Xi Jinping, who is also the general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, recently wrote a letter to eight children of martyrs who are currently studying at the People’s Public Security University of China. The letter, which was issued ahead of the Mid-Autumn Festival and the National Day, expressed Xi’s hopes for the students and extended greetings to the families of the martyrs from the public security system, according to Xinhua News Agency.
In the letter, Xi emphasised the sacred duty of the people’s police to safeguard national security, social stability, and the well-being of the people. He encouraged the students to follow in the footsteps of their heroic parents’ generation, maintain strong ideals and convictions, work hard in their studies and training, and dedicate themselves to serving as loyal guardians of the Party and the people.
Xi further urged the students to contribute to building a peaceful China at a higher level and actively participate in the great cause of national rejuvenation and the construction of a strong country.
Since the establishment of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, over 17,000 police officers have lost their lives in the line of duty, with more than 3,700 of them being recognised as martyrs.
Martyrs’ Day was officially designated on September 30 by China’s top legislature in 2014 to commemorate those who sacrificed their lives for national independence and prosperity.
Across the country, people in various cities held memorial activities to honour the martyrs. Many individuals spontaneously visited war memorial museums to lay bouquets and pay their respects.
In the past week, soldiers, representatives from different sectors, and primary and secondary school students visited major memorials throughout China to show their respect to the heroes. Theatre commands and armed police organised officers and soldiers to participate in memorial activities at martyr memorial parks, inspiring them to become heroes of the new era.
In Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, on 25th September, soldiers stationed in the western frontier of Xinjiang paid tribute to the martyrs at the Martyrs’ Cemetery located at an altitude of 4,280 meters in Kangxiwa. The fresh snowfall added to the solemnity and sacredness of the ceremony.
Martyr memorial facilities in Suining, Guang’an, Panzhihua, Aba, and other places in Sichuan province underwent upgrades and were open to the public ahead of 30th September.
The Binjiang Village Revolutionary Martyrs Cemetery, funded and built by local villagers in Dandong, Liaoning Province, is the only martyr cemetery of its kind. Among the 33 martyrs buried there, only five have been identified by name. Over 70 years ago, the Chinese People’s Volunteer (CPV) Army gathered and trained near Binjiang village before embarking on combat missions. Wounded and sick volunteers who were transported back from the front lines and subsequently died due to their injuries were laid to rest on the nearby hillside.
Memorial activities were not limited to China alone. In places where Chinese soldiers sacrificed their lives for world peace, such as the Cemetery for Martyrs of the CPV in Anju, South Pyongan, North Korea, and the “China Yadgar” cemetery in Danyor, Pakistan, where Chinese workers and engineers lost their lives during the construction of the Karakoram Highway, tributes were paid with cups of wine and bouquets of white chrysanthemums.