The brief information about China National Anthem
The words for the national anthem were written by Tian Han, and the music was composed by Nie Er in 1935. Originally known as the March of the Volunteers, it was the theme song of The Sons and Daughters in times of turmoil, a film that depicted how Chinese intellectuals marched bravely to the front in the War of Resistance Against Japan during the Second World War.
What does the China National Anthem mean?
Sonorous, militant and inspiring, the song describes the wrath of the Chinese people against imperialist aggression and their determination to protect their motherland against foreign, invaders. During the Second World War it was also sung by people of other countries who sympathized with the Chinese people in their anti-Japanese struggle. In 1949 it was appropriately chosen to be the national anthem of the People's Republic of China.
The History of China National Anthem
The National Anthem of the People's Republic of China is the March of the Volunteers. This song was composed by Nie Er and Tian Han in 1932, and adopted as a theme song in the movie The Sons and Daughters in times of turmoil in 1935. Both the song and the movie aimed for encouraging Chinese people to resist the invasion from the Japanese, and millions of Chinese youngsters were raised by this song and dedicated themselves to the liberation of their motherland.
On September 27th, 1949, March of the Volunteers was adopted as the temporary National Anthem, before the formal national anthem selected, by the 1st CPPCC. During the Cultural Revolution (a dark period of Chinese history from the mid 1960s to the early or mid 1970s), this song was forbidden to be sung and Tian Han, the writer of the lyrics, was imprisoned. In 1978, Cultural Revolution came its end, and this song was readopted as the National Anthem, but the lyrics were changed. In 1982 the original lyrics were restored. On March 14th 2004, March of the Volunteers was selected to be the National Anthem of China formally by the Second Plenary Session of 10th NPC.
Lyrics writer of China National Anthem
Tian Han (1898-1968), born in Changsha, Hunan Province, a great playwright. He had been studying in Japan from 1916 to 1921. After returning, he set up the Creative Society together with Guo Moruo, another Chinese writer (1892-1978). In 1968, he died during the Cultural Revolution.
Songwriters of China National Anthem
Nie Er (1912-1935), born in Kunming, Yunnan Province, a famous Chinese composer, when studying in the First Associate Middle School of Yunnan Province, he was gradually influenced by progressive publications and revolutionary songs like the International. In 1930, he joined an organization against Imperialism in Shanghai. In 1935, he unfortunately drowned in Japan.
