Video: China honors martyrs with moment of silence at Tian'anmen Square

Awardees of national medals and honorary titles paid tribute to national heroes at the Monument to the People's Heroes at Tian'anmen Square in Beijing on Monday morning as the country marks Martyrs' Day ahead of the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China (PRC) on October 1.

China's senior leaders and public representatives sing the national anthem and pay silent tribute to those who devoted their lives to the liberation of the Chinese people at the Monument to the People's Heroes on China's sixth Martyrs' Day.

China is holding its sixth Martyrs' Day event at Tian'anmen Square.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, along with other leaders of the Communist Party of China and the state, joins representatives from all walks of life in presenting flower baskets to deceased national heroes.

Background: A look at the Monument to the People's Heroes

The First Plenary Session of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) decided to build the monument for deceased national heroes in 1949, the year the People's Republic of China was founded.

Construction began in 1952 and took six years to finish.

The monument is nearly 38 meters tall and weighs over 10-thousand tons.

Background: A look at China's Martyrs' Day

In August 2014, China's top legislature approved September 30 as Martyrs' Day.

It is estimated that China has about 20 million martyrs.

The decision aims at "publicizing martyrs' achievements and spirits, and cultivating patriotism, collectivism, and socialist moralities to consolidate the Chinese nation's cohesiveness," the top legislature said.

Martyrs' Day was set on the day before China's National Day on October 1. This is also the day when foundations were laid for the Monument to the People's Heroes in 1949, which stands at the southern end of Tian'anmen Square. 

A commemorative ceremony for Martyrs' Day will be held at Tian'anmen Square in Beijing. Stay tuned for CGTN's live coverage.