CHINA / SOCIETY
Patriotism blooms as National Day approaches
Highlights people’s confirmation of Party’s strong leadership
Published: Sep 29, 2021 08:42 PM
Xi Jinping walks around the Monument to the People's Heroes to pay tribute during a ceremony to present flower baskets to deceased national heroes at Tian'anmen Square in Beijing, capital of China, Sep 30, 2020. Photo:Xinhua

Xi Jinping walks around the Monument to the People's Heroes to pay tribute during a ceremony to present flower baskets to deceased national heroes at Tian'anmen Square in Beijing, capital of China, Sep 30, 2020. Photo:Xinhua



From a live-broadcast Martyrs' Day event, Chinese people brimming with joy over Meng Wanzhou's return, to long-expected patriotic movies and promising domestic travel amid epidemic flare-ups, Chinese people are about to embrace a very special National Day holiday to celebrate the 72nd anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China with joy, expectations, and unprecedented patriotism.

On Thursday that marks China's Martyrs' Day, Chinese President Xi Jinping and other leaders of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the state will join representatives from all walks of life in presenting flowers baskets to fallen national heroes in Tiananmen Square. The event that will be broadcast live by the China Media Group is expected to intrigue people to learn from martyrs who had fought bravely for the country and boost their patriotism, experts said.   

On the occasion of the CPC's centennial, the first batch of the CPC's spiritual pedigree, 46 great spirits in all forged during the Party's century-old endeavor, was officially released on Wednesday, reflecting the great spirit of the Chinese people's creations, struggles, unity, and dreams formed over a long period of time. 

Prior to National Day, patriotism has risen in the country on an unprecedented level. With unremitting efforts of the Chinese government and the Chinese people, and the eager anticipation of hundreds of millions of family members of the motherland, Huawei's chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou finally returned to the embrace of the motherland after 1,028 days in Canada. 

Despite the current sporadic COVID-19 epidemic flare-ups in East China's Fujian Province and Northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, Chinese people remain enthusiastic for travel due to their deep trust in the government's proper handling of the epidemic. 

In line with the country's anti-epidemic policies, hotels and restaurants across the country have rolled out protective measures to ensure the safety and health of travelers. For instance, the environment in hotels will be strictly examined before providing services to tourists, and smart robots will be deployed in many regions to offer free-of-touch services to customers. Scenic spots have opened online bookings for people to prevent huge gatherings. 

This year's National Day holiday is expected to see 650 million domestic passenger trips  nationwide, recovering to more than 80 percent of the same period in 2019 before the pandemic, People's Daily on Monday cited a report issued by a Chinese online travel agency. 

A Baidu-launched travel report said that "red routes" continue their charm for people, with the Museum of CPC in Beijing, the site of the first national congress of the CPC in Shanghai, and the Jinggang Mountain Revolution Museum in East China's Jiangxi Province, attracting the most tourists.

Chen Jie, a PhD candidate of the School of Chinese Medicine at the University of Hong Kong, said he plans to go to Golden Bauhinia Square to watch a flag-raising ceremony. "There had been some security concerns to go there before the National Security Law was in place, but those worries have disappeared," he told the Global Times on Wednesday. 

China's National Day holiday will be very significant in the box office. Anticipation of moviegoers is high because of two of the most anticipated films about the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea (1950-53) titled The Battle at Lake Changjin and My Country, My Parents, a film that celebrates the centennial of the Communist Party of China.

Fu Ruoqing, the Vice Chairman and General Manager of China Film Co., also the producer of My Country, My Parents, told the Global Times movies advocating heroes and positive energy are always what the audience needs. The core of the film is "inheriting the Chinese spirit," representing the filmmakers and audience's vision to the future of the motherland. 

Cheng Po-yu, 33, secretary general of the Cross-Straits Youth Exchange Association and a Taiwan businessman based in Beijing, told the Global Times on Wednesday that he will stay in Beijing and watch the long-expected war film The Battle at Lake Changjin. The three-hour epic, after being delayed in August due to epidemic surges in parts of the country, explains why China had to fight a war against the US, which had the most powerful military at the time, and also how young Chinese soldiers sacrificed their lives to win "respect and pride" and defend the motherland.

A slew of events will make this National Day a very special one, in the year marking the centennial of the CPC. China achieved its first centennial goal of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects and aims to reach the second goal of building a great modern socialist country, Su Wei, a professor at the Party School of the Chongqing Party Committee, told the Global Times on Wednesday.

The country's strong patriotism reflects the Chinese people's deep belief in "four matters of confidence" (confidence in the socialist path, theory and system and culture) and the pride toward the strong leadership, power of execution and willpower of the CPC, Su said.

Patriotism will in turn inspire Chinese people and CPC members to draw strength from the spirits forged during the Party's century-old endeavor to overcome difficulties and risks, Su added.