Chinese President Xi Jinping, alongside senior leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the state, presented floral baskets to fallen national heroes during a ceremony at Tiananmen Square in central Beijing on Wednesday morning.
The observance marked China’s 13th Martyrs’ Day, observed annually on the eve of National Day. State leaders in attendance included Li Qiang, Zhao Leji, Wang Huning, Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang, Li Xi, and Han Zheng, joined by delegates representing diverse sectors of Chinese society.
At 10:00 a.m., attendees sang the national anthem and observed a moment of silence in honor of those who sacrificed their lives for the liberation of the Chinese people and the development of the People’s Republic of China. Nine ceremonial floral baskets were positioned before the Monument to the People’s Heroes. Xi—who also serves as General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee and Chairman of the Central Military Commission—approached the base of the monument with other dignitaries, adjusted the memorial ribbons on the baskets, and led the official delegation in a solemn circuit around the structure. The ceremony was presided over by Yin Li, member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Secretary of the Beijing Municipal Committee of the CPC.
Established in 2014, Martyrs’ Day designates September 30 to commemorate the laying of the foundation stone of the Monument to the People’s Heroes on that date in 1949, honoring individuals who gave their lives for national sovereignty and prosperity.
China’s historical martyrs are estimated at approximately 20 million, comprising enlisted personnel, revolutionaries, early party leaders, and civilians who perished in service of the public good. Xi has observed this memorial protocol every year since the designation’s inception.
Nationwide observances mirrored the capital’s proceedings. Municipal administrations and civic bodies hosted memorial gatherings at historical sites, with public officials, students, military personnel, and citizens laying flowers at designated cemeteries. Government agencies conducted outreach and welfare visits to surviving martyrs’ families, while digital platforms facilitated public education, directing younger demographics toward historical records of national service.
The 2026 commemorations coincide with the 77th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, the 105th anniversary of the founding of the CPC, and the 90th anniversary of the conclusion of the Chinese Workers’ and Peasants’ Red Army’s Long March (1934–1936).