Xi pays tribute to national heroes on Martyrs' Day

Xi Jinping straightens the ribbon on a flower basket during a ceremony to present flower baskets to fallen national heroes in Tian'anmen Square in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 30, 2023. Xi Jinping and other leaders of the Communist Party of China and the state including Li Qiang, Zhao Leji, Wang Huning, Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang, Li Xi and Han Zheng attended a ceremony on Saturday morning in Beijing to present flower baskets to fallen national heroes. The event was held to mark China's 10th Martyrs' Day, a day ahead of its National Day. [Xinhua/Yin Bogu]

BEIJING -- Xi Jinping and other leaders of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the state attended a ceremony on Saturday morning in Tian'anmen Square in Beijing to present flower baskets to fallen national heroes.

The event was held to mark China's 10th Martyrs' Day, a day ahead of its National Day.

The other leaders included Li Qiang, Zhao Leji, Wang Huning, Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang, Li Xi and Han Zheng. They were joined by representatives from all walks of life at the ceremony.

At 10 a.m., all participants sang the national anthem, and then paid a silent tribute to the martyrs who had sacrificed their lives to the liberation of the Chinese people and the development of the People's Republic of China.

Nine huge flower baskets were placed in front of the Monument to the People's Heroes. Xi and other leaders walked up to the foot of the monument, where he straightened the ribbons on the baskets before leading other senior officials in a walk around the monument to pay their tributes.

The baskets, with ribbons reading "Eternal Glory to the People's Heroes," were presented in the name of the CPC Central Committee; the National People's Congress Standing Committee; the State Council; the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference; the Central Military Commission; non-Communist parties, the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce and patriots without party affiliations; people's organizations and people from all walks of life; veterans, retired senior cadres and the relatives of martyrs; and Chinese Young Pioneers.

Under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, sustaining 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 a new journey in confident strides. They are striving relentlessly for building a strong China and realizing national rejuvenation.

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. 

Xi Jinping and other leaders of the Communist Party of China and the state including Li Qiang, Zhao Leji, Wang Huning, Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang, Li Xi and Han Zheng attend a ceremony to present flower baskets to fallen national heroes in Tian'anmen Square in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 30, 2023. The event was held to mark China's 10th Martyrs' Day, a day ahead of its National Day. [Xinhua/Shen Hong]

Xi Jinping and other leaders of the Communist Party of China and the state including Li Qiang, Zhao Leji, Wang Huning, Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang, Li Xi and Han Zheng attend a ceremony to present flower baskets to fallen national heroes in Tian'anmen Square in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 30, 2023. The event was held to mark China's 10th Martyrs' Day, a day ahead of its National Day. [Xinhua/Xie Huanchi]

Xi Jinping and other leaders of the Communist Party of China and the state walk around the Monument to the People's Heroes to pay their tributes in Tian'anmen Square in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 30, 2023. Xi Jinping and other leaders of the Communist Party of China and the state including Li Qiang, Zhao Leji, Wang Huning, Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang, Li Xi and Han Zheng attended a ceremony on Saturday morning in Beijing to present flower baskets to fallen national heroes. The event was held to mark China's 10th Martyrs' Day, a day ahead of its National Day. [Xinhua/Yue Yuewei]