March of the Volunteers Adopted as National Anthem
On 27 September 1949, the CPPCC adopted "March of the Volunteers" — composed by Nie Er with lyrics by Tian Han — as the provisional national anthem of the PRC. Originally written for a 1935 anti-Japanese resistance film, the anthem became a symbol of national sacrifice and struggle.
Origins
"March of the Volunteers" was composed in 1935 by Nie Er, with lyrics written by playwright Tian Han, for the patriotic film "Children of Troubled Times" (风云儿女). The song was written against the backdrop of Japanese aggression in Manchuria and called upon the Chinese people to resist invasion.
Nie Er died by drowning in Japan in July 1935, just months after completing the composition, at the age of 23. The song spread rapidly throughout China during the Second Sino-Japanese War and became one of the most widely sung patriotic songs of the era.
Adoption and Controversy
When the CPPCC debated a national anthem in September 1949, some delegates proposed writing a new song more explicitly celebrating Communist victory. The music critic and CPPCC delegate Ma Sicong argued successfully for retaining "March of the Volunteers", contending that a nation should not forget the struggle that brought it into being.
The anthem was adopted provisionally. Ironically, its lyricist Tian Han was persecuted during the Cultural Revolution, and the anthem was effectively banned — replaced by quotations from Mao. It was restored in 1978 after Mao's death and formally enshrined in the constitution in 1982.