Watch: China holds flag-raising ceremony to mark 69th National Day

A flag-raising ceremony was held at the Tian'anmen Square in Beijing on Monday morning to mark the 69th anniversary of the People's Republic of China's National Day.

After eight trumpet soldiers sounding their clarions, the national flag was escorted into the square by 96 members from the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Guard of Honor.

People from all over the country gathered at the square, singing the Chinese national anthem while watching the national flag being raised. Many were holding national flags in their hands, and having stickers of the national flag on their faces.

On Sunday, Chinese President Xi Jinping and other senior leaders of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the state also paid tribute and laid flowers at the Monument to the People's Heroes in Tian'anmen Square yesterday to mark the Martyrs' day.

China's top legislature approved September 30 as Martyrs’ Day in 2014, to commemorate those who lost their lives for national independence and prosperity.

Xi, also general secretary of the CPC Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, joined the representatives of all walks of life in the capital city of Beijing to mark the country's fifth Martyrs’ Day.

A military band played ceremonial music with a trumpet to start the commemoration.

Other senior leaders who were present at the event include Li Keqiang, Li Zhanshu, Wang Yang, Wang Huning, Zhao Leji, Han Zheng and Wang Qishan.

Meanwhile, laser light shows illuminated and animated the towering facade of many buildings in Shenzhen City, south China's Guangdong Province, on Friday night, to mark the National Day, and also the 40th anniversary of China's adoption of the policy of reform and opening to the outside world.

Shenzhen is one of the coastal Chinese cities to establish pilot Special Economic Zones for reform and opening up as a result of the policy.

More than 1.1 million LED lights were reportedly installed on 43 buildings in the city center, including the 600-meter-high Ping'an Tower.

Hundreds of thousands of LED lights displaying China's national flag were lit up on 35 buildings in Hangzhou City, east China's Zhejiang Province, on Friday night.

The People's Republic of China was founded on October 1, 1949, and on September 21 of the same year, China's new government passed the "Resolution on the National Day of the People's Republic of China'', designating October 1 as China's National Day.

After several modifications, it was decided that the Chinese mainland would observe a seven-day holiday (including two weekends) during National Day holiday, while Hong Kong observes a day-long holiday and Macao holds a two-day holiday, both are China's Special Administrative Regions (SARs).

(With inputs from agencies)