National Day of the People's Republic of China facts for kids

Template:Infobox vevent National Day (Chinese: 国庆节; pinyin: guóqìng jié; lit. 'national celebration day') is a very important public holiday in China. It's celebrated every year on October 1st. This special day marks the birthday of the People's Republic of China (often called PRC). It remembers when Mao Zedong, a key leader, officially announced the start of the People's Republic of China on October 1, 1949.

This big event happened after the Chinese Communist Party won the Chinese Civil War. The other main group in the war, the Kuomintang, moved to Taiwan. This change led to the modern China we know today.

Even though the main celebration is on October 1st, people in China get a whole week off! This is called the Golden Week. It's a time for big parties, amazing fireworks, and concerts all over the country. Sometimes, especially on big anniversaries like the 70th in 2019, there are huge military parades and shows. The government, called the State Council, decides the exact dates for Golden Week each year.

How National Day Began

The story of National Day starts with a big change in China. For many years, from 1927 to 1950, there was a Chinese Civil War. This was a fight between two main groups: the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and the Kuomintang (KMT). They did stop fighting for a while to work together against Japan.

After the war, the CCP won on mainland China. The KMT government moved to Taiwan, an island.

On October 1, 1949, a very important ceremony happened in Tiananmen Square in Beijing. Beijing became the new capital city. At this ceremony, Mao Zedong, the leader of the CCP, officially announced that the People's Republic of China was created. The new army, the People's Liberation Army, also had its first big parade that day.

Making it Official

After this big announcement, a man named Ma Xulun, who was the Minister of Education, thought China needed its own special National Day. He suggested: "Let's make October 1st our National Day."

On October 9, 1949, a big meeting took place. Ma Xulun was sick, so Xu Guangping presented his idea. The government's secretary, Lin Boqu, and Mao Zedong both liked the idea. Everyone at the meeting agreed! They decided to ask the government to make October 1st the National Day of the People's Republic of China. This would replace the old National Day, which was on October 10th.

Then, on December 2, 1949, the Central People's Government Committee officially agreed. They announced that from 1950 onwards, October 1st would be China's National Day. It was the day the People's Republic of China was born!

A little later, on December 23, 1949, the government decided that National Day would be a holiday for everyone on October 1st and October 2nd. The very first National Day celebration happened in Tiananmen Square on October 1, 1950.

Changes in Celebrations Over the Years

In the 1960s, China's leaders decided to be more careful with money. So, they changed how National Day was celebrated. They decided to have a small celebration every five years and a big parade every ten years.

Later, in 1984, a leader named Deng Xiaoping suggested having a big parade for the 35th birthday of the PRC. So, they did! In 1999, for the 50th birthday, there was another big military parade. More big parades happened in 2009 for the 60th anniversary and in 2019 for the 70th anniversary.

How China Celebrates National Day

National Day is the start of the Golden Week, which is a week-long holiday for everyone. This means many people get time off work and school to celebrate!

The holiday is celebrated all across mainland China, as well as in Hong Kong and Macau. The government organizes lots of fun things. There are usually amazing fireworks shows and concerts. People also enjoy sports games and cultural events.

Big public places, like Tiananmen Square in Beijing, get decorated with festive colors and flowers. You might see large pictures of important past leaders, like Mao Zedong. Many Chinese people living in other countries also celebrate this important day.

Remembering Heroes

For about ten years, from 2004 to 2013, there was a special ceremony on National Day if there wasn't a parade. It was held at the Monument to the People's Heroes in Tiananmen Square. This monument was built to remember all the Chinese people who died fighting for the country.

Since 2014, this ceremony now happens on a new holiday called Martyrs' Day. This is on September 30th, the day before National Day. Important leaders of the country attend this event.

The Flag-Raising Ceremony

Every National Day morning, if there isn't a big parade planned, a special flag-raising ceremony takes place in Tiananmen Square. This happens very early, around 6 a.m., and it's a very important event.

Since 2017, a special group of soldiers from the Beijing Garrison Honor Guard Battalion raises the flag. The National Marching Band of the PLA (People's Liberation Army) plays music. Before 2017, a different police unit handled the flag. Lots of people, including tourists, come to watch. It's also shown on TV and online for everyone to see. After the flag is raised, doves and colorful balloons are often released into the sky!

The Big Parade!

Marshal Lin Biao watching the soldiers during the 10th-anniversary military parade in 1959.

On special anniversary years, like every 10th year, there's a huge parade on the morning of National Day. This is called a civil-military parade. It includes soldiers from the People's Liberation Army and the People's Armed Police, as well as members of the Militia (citizen soldiers). People from all parts of Chinese society also join in, even young students called the Young Pioneers of China.

This parade has been shown on TV by China Central Television since 1984. People all over the world can watch it too! It's a major highlight of the celebrations in Beijing. The first parades happened every year from 1950 to 1959. Then they stopped for a while until 1984. There was supposed to be one in 1989, but it was canceled. Big parades were held again in 1999, 2009, and 2019.

The country's top leader, often called the paramount leader, watches the parade along with other important government officials. It's a very grand and exciting event!

Gallery

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  National Day in 1950

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  National Day in 1950

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  Mao Zedong and Liu Shaoqi waving to the crowd on National Day 1950

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  The 10th birthday of the People's Republic of China in 1959

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  The 15th birthday of the National Day of the People's Republic of China in 1964

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  Chairman Mao and President Liu on the 15th Anniversary of National Day in 1964

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  The 50th birthday of the People's Republic of China in 1999

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  2004 National Day celebration in Tiananmen Square, Beijing

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  Tiananmen Square, 2006 National Day of the PRC. The sign says "Warmly celebrate the 57th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China". The picture is of Sun Yat-sen.

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  2008 National Day celebration in Macau

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  2012 National Day celebration in Hong Kong

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  Flower display for celebrating the 70th National Day on Jianguomennei Street

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  A KJ-2000 plane and J-10 jets flying for the 70th National Day

See also

In Spanish: Día Nacional de la República Popular de China para niños