National Day of the People's Republic of China
National Day (), officially the National Day of the People's Republic of China (), is a public holiday in China celebrated annually on 1 October as the national day of the People's Republic of China, commemorating the formal proclamation of the establishment of the People's Republic of China on 1 October 1949. The Chinese Communist Party victory in the Chinese Civil War resulted in the Kuomintang retreat to Taiwan and the Chinese Communist Revolution whereby the People's Republic of China replaced the Republic of China. Although it is observed  on 1 October, another six days are added to the official holiday, normally in lieu of the two weekend breaks around 1 October, making it a de facto public holiday comprising seven consecutive days also known as Golden Week () with specifics regulated by the State Council. Festivities and concerts are usually held nationwide on this day, with a grand military parade and mass pageant event held on select years. The parade held on 1 October 2019 marked the 70th anniversary of the People's Republic of China. History. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) defeated the incumbent Kuomintang (KMT) nationalist government  of the Republic of China in the Chinese Civil War that took place from 1927 to 1950 except for a brief alliance against Japan in the Second Sino-Japanese War. In its aftermath, the internationally recognized government of China withdrew to the island of Taiwan, previously a prefecture of the Qing Empire that was ceded to Japan under its colonial rule from 1895 to 1945. The People's Republic of China was founded on 1 October 1949, with a ceremony celebrating the forming of the Central People's Government taking place in Tiananmen Square in its new national capital of  Peking (previously Peiping) on the same day that year. The first public parade of the new People's Liberation Army took place there, following the address by the country's first Chairman Mao Zedong officially declaring the formal establishment of the Republic. The Central People's Government passed the "Resolution on the National Day of the People's Republic of China" on 2 December 1949, and declared that 1 October is the National Day. National celebrations. National Day marks the start of the only golden week (黄金周) in the PRC that the government has kept. Removing one of the Golden  Weeks caused controversies when it happened in 2007. The day is celebrated throughout mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macau with a variety of government-organized festivities, including fireworks and concerts, as well as sports events and cultural events. Public places, such as Tiananmen Square in Beijing, are decorated in a festive theme. Portraits of revered leaders, such as Mao Zedong, are publicly displayed. The holiday is also celebrated by many overseas Chinese. Wreath-laying ceremony at the Monument to the People's Heroes. From 2004 to 2013, a national wreath-laying ceremony was held on National Day in Tiananmen Square  following the flag raising ceremony on years with no parades. The ceremony was centered on the Monument to the People's Heroes, built in 1958 in remembrance of the millions of Chinese who perished during the long years of national struggle. Beginning in 2014, they have been held on a new holiday, National Memorial Day, set on the eve of National Day, 30 September, and is presided by the General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party (China's paramount leader) and other party and state leaders. Publication of the National Day Honors List. An old tradition revived in the 2019  is the publication of the "National Day Honors List" by the State Council as a measure of national gratitude and recognition of services rendered by a number of local and foreign-born individuals in charitable actions, as role models to the Chinese people, in contributing to the growth of the economy and the nation's sporting prestige, in fostering diplomatic relations with countries of the world and preserving and promoting Chinese culture and the arts by their appointment as recipients of national medals and national honorary titles in the name of the state. The President and General Secretary is the  presiding officer of the awarding ceremony, which usually is held in the Great Hall of the People days before National Day itself. National flag-raising ceremony. For many years, the 6 a.m. National Day flag-raising ceremony is the more important act on years without any anniversary parades. Held at the Tiananmen Square, since 2017 the Beijing Garrison Honor Guard Battalion's Color Guard Company is present for the ceremony with the National Marching Band of the PLA. Until 2016 the Beijing People's Armed Police units provided men for the ceremonial color guard. The ceremony is open to the  general public and tourists and is widely televised and streamed online for viewers at home and aboard. At the end of the ceremony, doves are released. National civil-military parade. The special civil-military parade of the People's Liberation Army, People's Armed Police and the Militia together with representatives of the people of all walks of life including the Young Pioneers of China is held on special years in the morning of National Day itself. It has since 1984 been televised on China Central Television since 1984 (and broadcast around the world from that year as well via  satellite and cable television), is a key highlight of the national celebrations in Beijing. The parade was annual from 1950-59 and terminated until 1984. There was a parade planned for 1989 but was cancelled following the June 4th crackdown. Since 1999, parades have been held on National Day every 10 years. The parade is overseen by the paramount leader in his political duty as General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party and constitutional mandate as President of the People's Republic of China, as well as military leadership as the Chairman of the Central Military Commission. The paramount leader  is accompanied on the rostrum on the Tiananmen Gate by: