China Marks 13th Martyrs' Day Ahead of Long March 90th Anniversary

Ahead of China's 13th Martyrs' Day on September 30, state media and military outlets released major commentaries commemorating the country's fallen soldiers and revolutionary figures. The 2026 observances coincide with the 105th anniversary of the Communist Party of China's founding and the 90th anniversary of the Red Army's Long March victory. Official publications highlighted foundational sacrifices—including the pivotal 1934 Battle of Xiang River—and reaffirmed directives from President Xi Jinping to honor national heroes as foundational pillars of contemporary political legitimacy.

Martyrs' Day serves as a key institutionalized mechanism for reinforcing national identity, civil-military solidarity, and historical legitimacy. By connecting historical sacrifices—such as early revolutionary figures and Long March casualties—to contemporary military and civil service, Beijing uses national memory to reinforce ideological alignment across the armed forces and general public.

Chinese state media and military publications have issued extensive commentaries ahead of the country's 13th national Martyrs' Day on September 30, framing historical sacrifices as essential to national rejuvenation, according to official reports published by Xinhua and carried by the Ministry of National Defense. The 2026 commemorations carry elevated political significance, coinciding with the 105th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China and the 90th anniversary of the Red Army's Long March victory. Official coverage emphasized remarks by Chinese President Xi Jinping, who reiterated that regardless of changing eras, the nation must continually remember the sacrifices and contributions of those who gave their lives for the country, national independence, and peace. A central focus of the state commentary was the severe toll of the Long March, particularly the Battle of Xiang River in late 1934. Official figures cited by Xinhua noted that the Central Red Army's forces were depleted from more than 86,000 troops at the start of the Long March to roughly 30,000 after breaching Nationalist blockades along the Xiang River. The commentary drew on local folklore and recent public tributes at commemorative parks in Guangxi to underscore long-standing popular reverence for the fallen soldiers. State media also invoked individuals spanning different eras of Chinese history, including early communist intellectual Li Dazhao, civil war soldier Dong Cunrui, and maritime militia member Wang Jicai, who spent 32 years guarding Kaishan Island in Jiangsu province until his death. Incomplete official tallies cited in the report estimate that around 20 million martyrs have died for China's modern national defense and independence movements, with names preserved for fewer than one-tenth of them. The annual observances lead into China's National Day on October 1, typically marked by solemn state rituals at the Monument to the People's Heroes in Tiananmen Square, the foundation stone of which was laid on September 30, 1949.