The rare color footage of the historic founding ceremony of the People's Republic of China (PRC) in 1949 was unveiled Saturday by the National Archives Administration of China.

The footage, 12 minutes in length, is based on a documentary made in Russia. The then Soviet Union sent a team of cameramen to big cities in China, including Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, to document major founding events, the general environment and the lives of the people.

The six-episode documentary is regarded as a present for both the 70th birthday of the PRC and the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Russia. According to its director Alexey Denisov, many shots are unique, of high quality and have been released for the first time.

After the release of the documentary on September 15, selected clips and shots were processed and edited by the National Archives Administration. The footage covers not only the announcement of the PRC's founding, but the leader's speech, the PLA (People's Liberation Army) parade and other parts of the ceremony. It's also the longest and most comprehensive footage of the event.

It has been released together with dozens of documents, including handwritten scripts by national leaders in preparation for the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and other preparation drafts for the PRC's founding. All the documents were released as a special report for the 70th anniversary of the PRC on the National Archives Administration official website.

Through those precious historical materials, the public can get a view of how the national leaders put their hearts into the state's future and the difficulties they overcame.

Many films reflecting the country's political development, people's lives and patriotism are released for the anniversary.

"Mao Zedong 1949," which hit the theaters last Friday, tells how Chairman Mao and other national leaders solved problems and finally held the founding ceremony of New China. "My People, My Country," a highly-anticipated film to be released at the end of this month, is co-directed by eight outstanding filmmakers including Chen Kaige ("Farewell My Concubine") and Wen Muye ("Dying to Survive"). Unveiled is the history of the PRC's founding through the lives of ordinary individuals.