Xi pays tribute to national heroes on Martyrs' Day

Chinese President Xi Jinping straightens the ribbon on a flower basket during a ceremony to present flower baskets to fallen national heroes at Tian'anmen Square in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 30, 2026. 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 the ceremony on Wednesday. The event was held to mark Martyrs' Day. Observed on Sept. 30, one day before National Day, the day commemorates those who gave their lives for national independence and prosperity. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi) BEIJING, Sept. 30 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping and other Party and state leaders attended a ceremony to present flower baskets to fallen national heroes at Tian'anmen Square in central Beijing on Wednesday morning. The event was held to mark Martyrs' Day. Observed on Sept. 30, one day before National Day, the day commemorates those who gave their lives for national independence and prosperity. Since Martyrs' Day was established in 2014, Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, has maintained the tradition of paying homage to fallen heroes on the day. The other leaders who attended the ceremony on Wednesday 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 10 a.m., all attendees sang the national anthem, followed by a moment of silence in tribute to the heroes who sacrificed their lives for the liberation of the Chinese people and the development of the People's Republic of China. Nine large 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. Then, they walked 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 officials and the relatives of martyrs; and Chinese Young Pioneers. Yin Li, a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and secretary of the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee, presided over the ceremony. This year marks the 105th founding anniversary of the CPC and the 90th anniversary of the victory of the Long March, which lasted from 1934 to 1936. The arduous journey helped lay the foundation for the eventual victory of the Chinese revolution. Chinese President 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 at Tian'anmen Square in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 30, 2026. The event was held to mark Martyrs' Day. Observed on Sept. 30, one day before National Day, the day commemorates those who gave their lives for national independence and prosperity. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi) Chinese President 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 at Tian'anmen Square in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 30, 2026. The event was held to mark Martyrs' Day. Observed on Sept. 30, one day before National Day, the day commemorates those who gave their lives for national independence and prosperity. (Xinhua/Yan Yan) Chinese President 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 at Tian'anmen Square in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 30, 2026. The event was held to mark Martyrs' Day. Observed on Sept. 30, one day before National Day, the day commemorates those who gave their lives for national independence and prosperity. (Xinhua/Shen Hong) Chinese President 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 at Tian'anmen Square in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 30, 2026. The event was held to mark Martyrs' Day. Observed on Sept. 30, one day before National Day, the day commemorates those who gave their lives for national independence and prosperity. (Xinhua/Li Xiang) Chinese President Xi Jinping walks around the Monument to the People's Heroes to pay tribute during a ceremony to present flower baskets to fallen national heroes at Tian'anmen Square in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 30, 2026. 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 the ceremony on Wednesday. The event was held to mark Martyrs' Day. Observed on Sept. 30, one day before National Day, the day commemorates those who gave their lives for national independence and prosperity. (Xinhua/Yue Yuewei)