The ceremony included laying wreaths at the Monument to the People’s Heroes in the iconic Tian’anmen Square in downtown Beijing.
The president was accompanied by senior officials of the Government and the Communist Party of China (CPC), but thousands of representatives from all sectors of society were also present.
Martyrs’ Day was approved on September 30, 2014, and since then, the highest authorities and the Chinese people have been paying tribute to their heroes.
According to estimates, China has about 20 million martyrs in different historical events, but only 1.93 million of which have been officially enlisted.
Thursday’s tribute precedes the National Day celebration on October 1.
That date marks the 72nd anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China and it is a holiday because on October 1, 1949, the people, led by the CPC, declared victory in the Liberation War during a ceremony at the Tian’anmen.
pgh/iff/wmr/ymr