As the Qingming Festival approaches, the traditional period for honoring ancestors in China has increasingly evolved into a state-orchestrated ritual of national piety. Beijing is once again spotlighting the staggering figure of 20 million martyrs who are credited with giving their lives for the Chinese revolution and the construction of the modern state. This official narrative seeks to align the personal act of mourning with a broader sense of patriotic duty.
This emphasis is a core component of President Xi Jinping’s broader project of national rejuvenation. By framing the modern Chinese state as the hard-won prize of millions of sacrifices, the leadership creates an unbreakable link between historical struggle and contemporary political loyalty. Xi has frequently used these public moments of remembrance to reinforce the idea that a nation’s future is tethered to how it treats its pioneers.
The figure of 20 million serves as a potent psychological and ideological anchor, reminding the citizenry that current prosperity was purchased through immense human cost. Under the current administration, the state has institutionalized this reverence through Martyrs' Day and specific legislation designed to protect the reputation of historical figures. This effectively signals that the Party will not tolerate "historical nihilism" or any skeptical re-evaluation of its founding myths.
Ultimately, these commemorations are designed to foster a sense of collective debt to the state. By elevating revolutionary sacrifice to the level of a national secular religion, the Communist Party reinforces its own legitimacy as the sole steward of the heroes’ legacy. For the global observer, this signifies a China that is increasingly looking back at its revolutionary roots to find the moral authority for its future trajectory.