China National Anthem

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Anthem History

March of the Volunteers was written in 1935, with lyrics by the poet Tian Han and music by the composer Nie Er. It was originally the theme song of the film "Sons and Daughters in a Time of Storm," which tells the story of those who went to the front to fight the Japanese invaders in northeast China in the 1930s.

Decided upon as the provisional national anthem of the new China on September 27, 1949, but banned during the Cultural Revolution, it was restored to its original form and officially adopted as the national anthem of the People's Republic of China on December 4, 1982. This musical march is more commonly known by the name "Zhongguo Guoge," the Chinese National Song.

Anthem Lyrics

Yiyongjun Jinxingqu (Native in Pinyin)

by TIAN Han/NIE Er

Qilai! Buyuanzuo nulide renmen!

Ba womende xierou, zhucheng women xinde changcheng!

Zhonghua minzu daole zuiweixiande shihou,

meigeren beipozhe fachu zuihoude housheng.

Qilai! Qilai! Qilai!

Women wanzhong yixing,

maozhe dirende paohuo qianjin!

Maozhe dirende paohuo qianjin!

Qianjin! Qianjin! Jin!

Anthem Lyrics English

The March of the Volunteers (Native in Pinyin)

by TIAN Han/NIE Er

Arise, ye who refuse to be slaves!

Let us amount our flesh and blood towards our new Great Wall!

The Chinese nation faces its greatest peril,

The thundering roar of our people will be heard!

Arise! Arise! Arise!

We are many, but our hearts beat as one!

Selflessly braving the enemy's gunfire, march on!

Selflessly braving the enemy's gunfire, march on!

March on! March on! on!

China Flag

Flag Date of Adoption

1 October 1949

Flag Symbolism

Red with a large yellow five-pointed star and four smaller yellow five-pointed stars (arranged in a vertical arc toward the middle of the flag) in the upper hoist-side corner.

The red stands for communist revolution and the large star is a symbol of the communist party. The four smaller stars represent the workers, peasants, bourgeoisie, and patriotic capitalists who are united in building communism.

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