China marks Martyrs' Day, end of Long March at Tian'anmen Square

Chinese President Xi Jinping and other senior leaders attended a ceremony Friday at the Tian'anmen Square in Beijing to honor and remember deceased national heroes on the Martyrs' Day.

This year is also the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Long March, a famous military maneuver carried out by the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army of the Communist Party of China from 1934 to 1936.

Veterans, family members of martyrs and representatives of all walks of life gathered at the Monument to the People's Heroes at the Tian'anmen Square to mark the country's third Martyrs' Day on the eve of the National Day.

The leaders and other participants in the event will present flowers to the people's heroes.

Martyrs, as defined by the government, are "people who sacrificed their lives for national independence and prosperity, as well as the welfare of the people in modern times, or after First Opium War (1840-1842)."

It is estimated that China has about 20 million martyrs.

China's legislature approved Sept. 30 as the Martyrs' Day in 2014, to commemorate those who lost their lives fighting for national causes. Endi