Proclamation of the People's Republic of China

The Start of the People's Republic of China

The People's Republic of China began on October 1, 1949. A leader named Mao Zedong announced it in front of many people in Tiananmen Square in Beijing. This was a very important day for China because it marked the start of a new government.

Before this, there had been a long time when two groups in China did not agree. One group was the Chinese Communist Party, and the other was called the Kuomintang. They had different ideas about how China should be led.

When Mao Zedong made his announcement, he stood on top of the Tiananmen Gate. He said that the Chinese people had worked hard and now had a new government to help them. The new government was called the Central People's Government, and Beijing became the capital city.

To celebrate this special day, there was a big military parade with many soldiers and music. The new national anthem, called the "March of the Volunteers", was played, and a new flag with five stars was shown for the first time. The flag of the People's Republic of China has five stars, and it is a symbol of the country.

After this, the old government moved to the island of Taiwan. Today, October 1 is celebrated each year as National Day in China, and people remember the day the People's Republic of China began.