Every year on 1 October, China celebrates an important public holiday – the Day of Establishment of the People’s Republic of China (PRC).

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova congratulated Chinese Ambassador to Moscow Zhang Hanhui on the occasion of the 74th anniversary of China’s founding and the establishment of Russian-Chinese diplomatic relations. The reception was held in the walls of the Chinese Embassy in Moscow.

In 1949, a solemn ceremony was held on Tiananmen Square to mark the establishment of the central people’s government of the new country. Mao Zedong raised the first communist national flag and proclaimed the establishment of the new China.

Nowadays, China’s Founding Day is celebrated over seven days, which is known in China as the “Golden Week”.

For several centuries, China was ruled by various dynasties, then the Republic of China was formed, which lasted from 1912 to 1949. After a long civil war, the Communist Party of China (CPC) declared the country’s independence and the People’s Republic of China was formed in 1949. In the same year, the new government passed a decree declaring 1 October a bank holiday.

The Day of the People’s Republic of China is celebrated with great fanfare. Numerous concerts, sports and cultural events are held throughout the country. Public places are decorated in festive patriotic themes. Portraits of national leaders, including Mao Zedong, are on public display. Many Chinese living abroad also celebrate this important holiday.

At six o’clock in the morning, a national flag-raising ceremony is held in Tiananmen Square, with guardsmen marching from the Tiananmen Gate tower carrying the national flag.

Everyone can take part in the ceremony and the event is widely televised. Although the flag-raising ceremony takes place on the first day of each month, the number of people participating in the ceremony on 1 October is usually larger than on normal days. During the holiday, Communist leaders also lay flowers at the People’s Heroes Monument as a tribute to the martyrs who died in the struggle for China’s liberation.

The evening gala concert in honour of China’s Founding Day features songs and dances on themes such as love for the motherland and celebration of the country’s development. The celebrations conclude with large-scale fireworks displays.

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