Xi Jinping and Top Leadership Attend Martyrs' Day Ceremony in Beijing

China marked its national Martyrs' Day on the morning of September 30 with a solemn floral tribute ceremony at Tiananmen Square in Beijing. Chinese President Xi Jinping, along with Premier Li Qiang, other members of the CCP Politburo Standing Committee, and Vice President Han Zheng, presented flower baskets at the Monument to the People's Heroes. State media highlighted that this year's observance aligns with the 105th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese Communist Party and the 90th anniversary of the Red Army's Long March victory.

Held annually on the eve of National Day, the Martyrs' Day ceremony is China's foremost state ritual for honoring fallen revolutionaries. The collective attendance of the entire top political leadership reinforces the Communist Party's historical narrative, consolidates domestic political legitimacy, and anchors national identity in collective sacrifice and patriotic devotion.

China's top party and state leaders gathered at Tiananmen Square in central Beijing on the morning of September 30 to present flower baskets at the Monument to the People's Heroes, observing the country's national Martyrs' Day ahead of the October 1 National Day. President Xi Jinping attended the ceremony alongside Premier Li Qiang, Zhao Leji, Wang Huning, Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang, and Li Xi—all members of the Politburo Standing Committee of the Chinese Communist Party—as well as Vice President Han Zheng. Representatives from various sectors of society joined the leadership at the square. During the ceremony, Xi approached the monument and straightened the red ribbons adorning the presentation baskets, according to reports published by Xinhua. The square was decorated for the occasion with a massive centerpiece basket bearing the slogan "Bless the Motherland" alongside 18 floral wreaths composed of white chrysanthemums and other blooms situated on the north side of the monument. Shortly before 10 a.m., buglers from the People's Liberation Army military band performed the ceremonial Martyrs' Day call to initiate the formal proceedings. State broadcaster China Media Group provided extensive live domestic and international coverage of the event across CCTV's general, news, international, and military television channels, multiple radio frequencies, and central digital streaming platforms, as outlined in official notices. Official coverage stressed the commemorative timing of this year's observance, pointing out that it aligns with the 105th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese Communist Party as well as the 90th anniversary of the conclusion of the Red Army's historic Long March. The annual ceremony remains one of Beijing's most standardized high-level political rituals, signaling unified leadership backing for historical narratives of revolutionary perseverance and national rejuvenation.