Ode to the Motherland
"Ode to the Motherland" (simplified Chinese: 歌唱祖国; traditional Chinese: 歌唱祖國; pinyin: Gēchàng Zǔguǒ) is a famous patriotic song of the People's Republic of China, written and music composed by Wang Xin (Chinese: 王莘; pinyin: Wáng Xīn) (October 1918–October 15, 2007) during the period immediately after the founding of the People's Republic of China (1949–1951). It is sometimes honoured as "the second national anthem" of the PRC.
It is the opening music of the radio programs News and newspapers Summary (新闻和报纸摘要) and National Network News (全国新闻联播) of China National Radio. Also, it is the closing music of China Business Radio (经济之声).
Origin
On October 1, 1949, when Mao Zedong declared the founding of People's Republic of China under a sea of fluttering Five-star red flags in Tiananmen Square, he said, "Chinese people have stood up [against invasion and foreign exploitation] today!". That was the most inspiring moment for millions of Chinese patriots, and remains so today. Wang Xin started writing this song in late September 1950, shortly after he saw the sea of fluttering Five Star Red Flags at Tiananmen Square again, during the preparation period for the first National Day anniversary. The song's lyrics and its music composition were officially published on 15 September 1951 in the People's Daily.
Full lyrics
Simplified Chinese | Traditional Chinese | Pinyin | Literal English translation |
---|---|---|---|
五星红旗迎风飘扬, |
五星紅旗迎風飄揚, |
Wǔ xīng hóngqì yíng fēng piāo yáng, |
Five-Star Red Flags are fluttering in the wind, |
- Sometimes rendered as simplified Chinese: 灭亡; traditional Chinese: 滅亡; pinyin: mie wang, meaning perish.
- Note that in the updated version of this song the second-to-last stanza is completely omitted and the previous stanza is repeated, demonstrating the de-emphasis on Mao's cult of personality.
See also
- Cultural Revolution
- Maoism
- "Sailing the Seas Depends on the Helmsman"
- "The East Is Red"
- "Without the Communist Party, There Would Be No New China"
External links
- Orchestral MP3 Audio from PLA Daily
- Orchestral and Choral MP3 Audio from PLA Daily
- CCTV video
- Lyrics in Chinese
- Song's Name in English - "Singing in Praise of the Motherland" by People's Daily
- Song's Name in English - "Singing Praises of Motherland" by GOV.cn
- Song's Name in English - "Ode to the Motherland" by people.com.cn
- Orchestral and sung version on YouTube
- Cultural Revolution rendition with Cultural Revolution lyrics on YouTube