Editor's note: Song Yuehong is deputy director and research fellow at the Institute of Contemporary China Studies of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. The article reflects the author's opinions and not necessarily the views of CGTN.

September 30 marks China's Martyrs' Day. Chinese President Xi Jinping, also General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee and Chairman of the Central Military Commission of the People's Republic of China, and other leaders of the Party and the state, joined representatives from all walks of life across the country and offered a floral tribute to the fallen national heroes at the Tian'anmen Square in Beijing. 

This is the ninth Martyrs' Day event held since the day was adopted at the 10th Session of the 12th National People's Congress Standing Committee in August 2014. With its important timing, this year's event will inspire the general public to memorialize the martyrs' sacrifices and achievements, help promote patriotism, and inject new spiritual energy to realize the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation at a new historical starting point.

The spirit of martyrs is the profound foundation and important source of the national spirit of the Chinese people. Martyrs were the outstanding representatives of the sons and daughters of the Chinese nation and pioneering warriors who braved the storms and struggles in achieving the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. They were the creators, practitioners and inheritors of the Chinese national spirit. They were heroes of the people and role models for the times. 

The country is nothing but the people, and the people are the country. Thousands of martyrs, together with the sons and daughters of the Chinese people, with their fearless heroic spirit, have fought tenaciously for the establishment of the Communist country with their blood and lives, and guarded it with their will and strength. They have thus written the most magnificent epic of revolution, struggle and heroism in the history of the Chinese nation throughout millennia.

The spirit of martyrs originates from the spirit of the Chinese nation and the fine traditional Chinese culture. It is the firm belief, strong will and spiritual energy that the Chinese nation depends on for its survival and development. It is written in the blood and soul of the Chinese nation and is the manifestation of the national character with self-improvement and patriotism at the core.

In the process of realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, we should carry forward and promote the spirit of martyrs. Achieving national rejuvenation is the greatest dream of the Chinese nation since modern times. The founding of the People's Republic of China marked the beginning of a new era for the development and progress of the Chinese nation. 

The cause of reform and opening-up is a great revolution in the history of the development of the Chinese nation, and China has made great strides to catch up with the times. Creating a new era of socialism with Chinese characteristics provides better institutions, firmer material foundations, and a more proactive mindset for realizing national rejuvenation. 

History shows that without the Communist Party of China, there would have been no People's Republic of China or great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. The spirit of martyrs is the rich nourishment of the cultivation and practice of the core socialist values ​​since the founding of the People's Republic of China. It is the precious spiritual wealth of all struggles, sacrifices, and creations for the realization of national rejuvenation. It inspires and encourages the Chinese people to continuously overcome difficulties and move from victory to victory.

The spirit of martyrs is rooted in the ideological and action awareness of putting the fundamental interests of the people and the Chinese nation above all else, and being willing to sacrifice everything for the people's just cause. It is the basis of the spiritual genealogy of the Chinese Communists and the great Party-building spirit and is the value of the times. 

An individual cannot stand without spirit, nor can a country be strong without spirit. Without the spirit of martyrs, it is impossible to create historical glory and advance the great cause of national rejuvenation. To unswervingly promote national rejuvenation, it is necessary to carry forward and promote the spirit of martyrs, cultivate and practice the core socialist values, strengthen the cohesion of the Chinese nation, and make unremitting efforts to realize the prosperity of the country and the happiness of the people.

We should dare to fight and win in the process of realizing national rejuvenation. In the face of great changes unseen in a century in the world, only with the spirit of martyrs and the courage to fight and win can we stand firm and forge ahead in the torrent of history and the tide of the times.

In the process of building a modern socialist country in an all-round way, "four major tests" which are state governing, reform and opening-up, market economy and external environment, as well as the "four major hazards" which include slacking, incompetence, alienating from the people, and corruption will remain for a long time. This means the task of advancing reform, development and stability will be even more arduous. 

In the great struggle with many new historical characteristics, the Party must always prioritize the development of the country and the nation, keep firmly in our own hands the destiny of China's development and progress, carry forward the fighting spirit, strengthen the awareness of risks, and build its fight capacity. 

With the invincible and powerful spiritual power of the spirit of martyrs, we will resolutely fight against all kinds of risks and challenges that endanger the Party's leadership, the country's socialist system, national sovereignty, security or development interests, and focus on preventing and containing those risks that may delay or disrupt the process of national rejuvenation. We will endure all kinds of risks and sacrifices in arduous struggles and pool the will and strength of the people in constantly charting and expanding the correct path for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

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