Festivities, including fireworks and concerts (a grand military parade every 10 years)
Date
1 October
Next time
1 October 2025
Frequency
Annual
First time
1 October 1949
President Xi Jinping on Tuesday called on the nation to keep on working hard and forge ahead with determination in advancing Chinese modernization.
Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks at a reception held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing to celebrate the 76th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China.
China's National Day falls on Oct. 1.
Li Qiang presided over the reception. Zhao Leji, Wang Huning, Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang, Li Xi and Han Zheng attended the event along with around 800 Chinese and foreign guests.
"Achieving the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation is an unprecedented cause," Xi said in his address. "Both aspirations and challenges inspire us to seize every moment and persevere with unwavering vigor."
Xi noted that over the 76 years since the founding of New China, the CPC has led the people to score splendid accomplishments through a spirit of self-reliance and continuous efforts.
Not long ago, China commemorated the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, which has inspired patriotism across the nation and pooled the strength for endeavor, Xi said.
He emphasized the importance of continuing to draw on historical experience to achieve greater national development.
Amid a complex situation this year, China has made new progress and achievements in further comprehensively deepening reform, promoting high-quality development, improving the people's wellbeing, and advancing full and rigorous Party self-governance, Xi said.
Noting that the fourth plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Committee is scheduled for next month to study suggestions on the formulation of the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030) for national economic and social development, Xi urged sound planning and implementation of the goals, tasks and strategic measures for the five-year plan to ensure decisive progress toward basically achieving socialist modernization.
He underscored the need to unswervingly implement the "one country, two systems" policy, and support Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions in better integrating into the country's overall development, as well as in growing their economies and improving the people's wellbeing.
Efforts should be made to deepen exchanges and cooperation across the Taiwan Strait, resolutely oppose "Taiwan independence" separatist activities and external interference, and firmly safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity, Xi noted.
Against the backdrop of rapid global changes unseen in a century, "we must practice true multilateralism, promote the implementation of the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, the Global Civilization Initiative and the Global Governance Initiative, and work with other countries to build a community with a shared future for humanity," Xi said.
Although it is observed on 1 October, another six days are added to the official holiday, normally in lieu of the two weekend breaks around 1 October, making it a de facto public holiday comprising seven consecutive days also known as Golden Week with specifics regulated by the State Council.[3] Festivities and concerts are usually held nationwide on this day, with a grand military parade and mass pageant event held on select years.[A] The parade held on 1 October 2019 marked the 70th anniversary of the People's Republic of China.
The People's Republic of China was founded on 1 October 1949, with a ceremony celebrating the forming of the Central People's Government taking place in Tiananmen Square in its new national capital of Peking (previously Peiping) on the same day that year.[6] The first public parade of the new People's Liberation Army took place there, following the address by the first CCP ChairmanMao Zedong officially declaring the formal establishment of the Republic.[7]
On October 9, 1949, the meeting was held at the Qinzheng Hall in Zhongnanhai, where Ma Xulun, due to illness, had his proposal conveyed by Xu Guangping.[9] The Secretary General of the Central People's Government, Lin Boqu, spoke in favor of the proposal, and Mao Zedong also expressed his support.[10] Finally, the meeting unanimously adopted the proposal and made a resolution "Requesting the Government to designate October 1 as the National Day of the People's Republic of China to replace the old National Day of October 10", which was sent to the Central People's Government for adoption and implementation.[11]
On December 2, 1949, the Fourth Session of the Central People's Government Committee (Chinese: 中央人民政府委员会) adopted the Resolution on the National Day of the People's Republic of China, which proclaimed that since 1950, October 1 of each year, the day on which the People's Republic of China was proclaimed, would be the National Day of the People's Republic of China.[12][13]
On December 23, 1949, the Twelfth Political Affairs Conference of the State Council of the Central People's Government (Chinese: 中央人民政府政务院) passed the Measures for National Holidays on Annual and Memorial Days, stipulating that National Day should be a national holiday for all the people as the October 1 and October 2.[14][15] On October 1, 1950, the first National Day celebrations were held in Tiananmen Square.[16]
The day is celebrated throughout mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macau with a variety of government-organized festivities, including fireworks and concerts, as well as sports events and cultural events. Public places, such as Tiananmen Square in Beijing, are decorated in a festive theme. Portraits of revered leaders, such as Mao Zedong, are publicly displayed.[24] The holiday is also celebrated by many overseas Chinese.
Wreath-laying ceremony at the Monument to the People's Heroes
From 2004 to 2013, a national wreath-laying ceremony was held on National Day in Tiananmen Square following the flag raising ceremony on years with no parades. The ceremony was centered on the Monument to the People's Heroes, built in 1958 in remembrance of the millions of Chinese who perished during the long years of national struggle. Beginning in 2014, they have been held on a new holiday, Martyrs' Day, set on the eve of National Day, 30 September, and is presided by the paramount leader and other party and state leaders.[25]
National flag-raising ceremony
For many years, a flag-raising ceremony has been held at Tiananmen Square in the morning of the day if no parade is scheduled on the day.[26] The 6 a.m. National Day flag-raising ceremony is important in years without any anniversary parades. Held at the Tiananmen Square, since 2017 the Beijing Garrison Honor Guard Battalion's Color Guard Company is present for the ceremony with the National Marching Band of the PLA. Until 2016 the Beijing People's Armed Police units provided men for the ceremonial color guard unit. The ceremony is open to the public and tourists and is widely televised and streamed online for viewers at home and abroad. At the end of the ceremony, doves and colorful balloons are released.[27][28]
National civil-military parade
Marshal Lin Biao surveying the soldiers during the 10th anniversary military parade in 1959.
The special civil-military parade of the People's Liberation Army, People's Armed Police and the Militia together with representatives of the people of all walks of life including the Young Pioneers of China is held on special years in the morning of National Day itself. It has been televised on China Central Television since 1984 (and broadcast around the world from that year as well via satellite and cable television), is a key highlight of the national celebrations in Beijing.[29] The parade was annual from 1950 to 1959 and terminated until 1984.[30] There was a parade planned for 1989 but was cancelled following the June 4th crackdown. Parades were held again in 1999 and 2009.[31][32]
the 10th anniversary of the People's Republic of China in 1959
the 15th anniversary of the National Day of the People's Republic of China in 1964
Chairman Mao Zedong and President Liu Shaoqi on the 15th Anniversary of the National Day of the People's Republic of China in 1964
the 50th anniversary of the People's Republic of China in 1999
2004 National Day celebration in Tiananmen Square, Beijing
Tiananmen Square, 2006 National Day of the PRC. The placard reads "Warmly celebrate the 57th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China". The portrait is that of Sun Yat-sen.[35]
Fire and Rescue Department director-general Datuk Seri Nor Hisham Mohammad said handphones should only be used for payment purposes when refuelling.
Using the device for other purposes could distract the motorist, resulting in mishaps like spilling petrol or forgetting to close the petrol cap, he said.
Meanwhile, Malaysian Federation for Occupational Safety and Health chairman Dr Abu Hasan Samad cautioned motorists about the dangers of static electricity on petrol pump nozzles.
“Static electricity can be generated through factors such as the type of clothing or even the material in the car.
“Static electricity can gradually increase in the car and the concern arises when it is not discharged before going near the pump.
“As a precaution, motorists can discharge the static electricity by touching the car’s body before beginning the refuelling process,” he said, adding that motorists can also stand at a distance from the nozzle while it is refuelling to prevent an untoward incident.
He also reminded motorists to wash their hands with soap and water if there is a petrol spill.
Petroleum Dealers Association of Malaysia president Datuk Khairul Annuar Abdul Aziz said while modern phones are low-risk if used properly, the danger can be present if the device is dropped, damaged or used too close to the nozzles.
“Fuel-related applications are also designed to only be activated inside the car before stepping out and not while the user is standing next to the pump,” he said.
He said any device that can generate heat or sparks has the potential to ignite fuel vapour.
“Fire needs three things – fuel, oxygen and an ignition source.
“At petrol stations, the first two are always present. Our main concern is ignition sources,” said Khairul Annuar.
Other hazardous activities while refuelling, he said, are smoking or lighting matches, leaving the engine running and creating static electricity.
“All these can trigger an accident. Stay focused during the process and do not do activities that can distract you.
“Treat the petrol station as a no-spark zone. Practising simple measures can ensure refuelling is safe,” he said.
Engineering marvel: The Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge, the world’s highest, is seen in China’s southwest Guizhou province. — AFP
The world’s highest bridge has opened to traffic in the country, state media said, capping an engineering feat three years in the making and snatching the record from another bridge in the same province.
The Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge towers 625m above a river and vast gorge in the country’s rugged southern province of Guizhou, also home to the 565m Beipanjiang Bridge that is now the world’s second highest.
Live drone footage broadcast by state media yesterday showed vehicles traversing the immense structure, its blue support towers partially engulfed in clouds.
Crowds of onlookers including project engineers and local officials gathered on the bridge for a ceremony to mark the occasion, with several expressing their pride and excitement in live interviews to state media.
“The opening of the Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge reduces travel time between the two sides from two hours to two minutes,” Zhang Yin, head of the provincial transport department, said at a press conference on Wednesday.
Its opening makes “enormous improvements to regional transportation conditions and (injects) new impetus into regional economic and social development,” she said.
China has invested heavily in major infrastructure projects in recent decades, a period of rapid economic growth and urbanisation in the country.
The hilly province of Guizhou in particular is crisscrossed by thousands of bridges – which now include the world’s two highest.
State news agency Xinhua said on Wednesday that nearly half of the world’s 100 highest bridges are located in the province.
The Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge took more than three years to complete, Xinhua reported.
Its 1,420m main span makes it the “world’s largest-span bridge built in a mountainous area”, it added. — AFP
This bridge is a vivid projection of China’s new development philosophy
An aerial drone photo taken on Sept. 28, 2025 shows the Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge in southwest China's Guizhou Province. Photo: Xinhua
On Sunday morning, the Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge - the "world's tallest bridge" and the control engineering project of the Liuzhi-Anlong Expressway in Southwest China's Guizhou Province - was officially completed and opened to traffic. This engineering marvel, which ranks "world No.1 both vertically and horizontally," not only sets a new record in bridge construction with a vertical height of 625 meters and reduces a two-hour mountain journey to a two-minute drive, but also embodies the concept of adapting to local conditions and pursuing integrated development, offering the world a new dimension of China's high-quality development. The Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge is far more than a simple engineering breakthrough; it is a three-dimensional projection of China's new development philosophy featuring innovative, coordinated, green, open and shared development deep in the mountains and valleys, and a concrete manifestation of the transformation from "Made in China" to "Created in China."
Innovation is a pragmatic breakthrough driven by problems. Faced with complex terrain, geological and climatic conditions, the builders adopted an innovative "asymmetrical anchorage design," wind-resistance measures tested through physical wind tunnel experiments, and a fourth-generation "intelligent cable hoisting system." These efforts enabled new breakthroughs in complex bridge engineering, including millimeter-level precision docking of key steel structure joints at an altitude of more than 600 meters. Such innovation was not pursued for its own sake, but arose from the tireless efforts of China's engineers to address the pressing challenge of "turning natural barriers into thoroughfares." It is a concrete example of the principle of the "problem-oriented approach" in China's development philosophy and is a direct expression of the country's new quality productive forces. In this process, the spirit of perseverance embodied by Chinese engineers, akin to the story of "the foolish old man who moves mountains," was fully demonstrated. Through their actions, Chinese engineers have proved that "serving the people" is by no means an empty slogan.
Coordination is the key engine that activates regional development. Coordinated development is not about mere balance, but about achieving breakthroughs at key nodes to drive overall progress. The opening of the bridge has shortened the journey between Anshun and Liupanshui from two hours to just two minutes. What appears to be a simple shift in time and space is, in fact, a restructuring of the region's economic system.
While strengthening links between the region and its neighbors, the bridge also creatively integrates infrastructure with cultural tourism through a "bridge plus tourism" model. Projects such as a cloud-top café and a 625-meter bungee jump are incorporated into the bridge complex, linking with surrounding geological landscapes, ethnic minority traditions and red revolutionary sites to generate scale effects and open up new growth points. In due course, under the driving force of the bridge and the comprehensive economic system built around it, a new pattern of regional economic development is bound to emerge.
Green has become an integral element of development that is already embedded in our memory. In the ecologically sensitive karst landscape area, the builders creatively combined the canyon's rock formations with the bridge design, integrating the bridge structure with the canyon landscape. The entire construction process utilized "zero excavation" technology to minimize damage to the native vegetation. This steadfast commitment to the principle that "the ecological red line cannot be crossed" is a vivid manifestation of China's philosophy that "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets." The construction of the Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge demonstrates that high-quality development can achieve a win-win situation for both economic and ecological benefits. This process of Chinese modernization reshapes the relationship between human activities and the ecological environment and represents an important contribution of China's green development philosophy to the world.
Openness and sharing represent the mutual learning of civilizations, allowing us to share and admire the beauty of each civilization. The bridge significantly enhances the efficiency of transit in southwest Guizhou, directly benefiting approximately 500,000 residents along the route. It connects essential resources for education, healthcare, and employment, embodying the principle of "shared development outcomes for all." China uses modern engineering technology to open up the "veins" of economic development and pave a "pathway to happiness" for the people. In this process, it also refines itself and engages with the world. The bridge's opening not only injects new momentum into domestic regional development but also provides a replicable and scalable model for the globe, contributing a "Chinese solution." This openness and sharing are not merely a simple transfer of technology; they encompass comprehensive collaboration and integration of design concepts, construction standards, and management experiences, reflecting a global vision of "building a community with a shared future for humanity" within the framework of shared development. As reported previously by the European website Modern Diplomacy: When the bridge is inaugurated, "it will not just be Guizhou or China celebrating, but the world witnessing a new milestone in civil engineering and technological innovation."
From the Zhaozhou Bridge and Luoyang Bridge, which embody the wisdom of ancient Chinese engineering, to the Beipanjiang Bridge, the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, and the Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge, the history of Chinese bridges is a continuous story of breaking through limits and transcending boundaries. This bridge, which spans the canyon, not only establishes a "development corridor" between Anshun and Liupanshui but also conveys to the world in the most direct way that China's development has never been about surpassing others. Instead, it is about achieving a better version of itself, while providing more choices, better paths, and more beautiful visions for the common development of humanity in the process. - Global Times editorial
Communism portal
Politics portal
![Tiananmen Square, 2006 National Day of the PRC. The placard reads "Warmly celebrate the 57th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China". The portrait is that of Sun Yat-sen.[35]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Tiananmen_Square_-_National_Day_2006.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
