In the celebration of important days and special occasions, national flag, regional flag will be displayed, and national anthem will be played and sung. How well do you know about our national anthem?
In Hong Kong, we would play and sing the national anthem of the People's Republic of China in important events and occasions. Hong Kong is a special administrative region of the People's Republic of China. Being as an inalienable part of the People's Republic of China, the so-called "Hong Kong National Anthem" has never existed. Therefore, the national anthem of the People's Republic of China is the only official anthem representing the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, and should be adopted for use in all kinds of official occasions such as the flag-raising ceremonies and sporting events.
"March of the Volunteers" is the national anthem of the People's Republic of China. It was originally the theme song of Sons and Daughters in a Time of Storm (1935), a movie about fighting against Japan's Aggression and saving the country. The song was written by the noted poet Tian Han with music by the famous composer Nie Er (see note). The original story of Sons and Daughters in a Time of Storm was created by Tian. It depicts the heroic stories of young people marching to the front line to defend their country against Japanese occupation in the early 1930s.
Even though some of the overseas people are not well aware of the relationship between the national anthem of the People's Republic of China and Hong Kong, the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region is committed to preserving the dignity of national anthem. The then Chief Executive signed the National Anthem Ordinance in accordance with Article 48(1)(3) of the Basic Law on 11 June 2020, with it coming into effect on 12 June 2020. The National Anthem Ordinance provides for the playing and singing, and for protection and promotion of the national anthem in Hong Kong, to preserve the dignity of the country and enhance the sense of national identify among citizens. It aims to strengthen the awareness among the public that the national anthem played and sung in Hong Kong refers to the national anthem of the People's Republic of China.
Under Section 5 of the National Anthem Ordinance, a reference to the national anthem being played and sung is a reference to the national anthem being played on musical instruments in accordance with the standard score, or an official recording of the national anthem being played, for the singing of the national anthem. The standard score and official recording of the national anthem are as follows:
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region is an inalienable part of the People's Republic of China. "March of the Volunteers" is the national anthem of the People's Republic of China under the Constitution of the People's Republic of China and the National Anthem Ordinance.
"March of the Volunteers" was written by the noted poet Tian Han with music by the famous composer Nie Er. It was originally the theme song of Sons and Daughters in a Time of Storm (1935), a movie about fighting against Japan Aggression and saving the country. The song captures the fearless and tenacious fighting spirit of the Chinese nation.
On 27 September 1949, the First Plenary Session of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference concluded: Before the national anthem of the People's Republic of China was formally formulated, "The March of Volunteers" composed by Tian Han and Nie Er was adopted as the provisional national anthem.
On 1 October 1949, the Central People's Government of the People's Republic of China was established. At Tiananmen Square in Beijing, with the rise of the "Five-star Red Flag", "March of the Volunteers" resonated for the first time at Tiananmen Square.
On 14 March 2004, the Tenth National People's Congress passed the "Constitution (Amendment)" and added a paragraph to Article 136 of the Constitution of the People's Republic of China, stipulating that "March of the Volunteers" shall be the national anthem of the People's Republic of China.
On 1 September 2017, the Twenty-ninth Session of the Standing Committee of the Twelfth National People's Congress passed the "National Anthem Law of the People's Republic of China", which took effect in the country from 1 October 2017.
On 4 November 2017, the Thirtieth Session of the Standing Committee of the Twelfth National People's Congress agreed to add the "National Anthem Law of the People's Republic of China" to Annex III to the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China. In parallel, the Government of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) announced that, pursuant to Article 18 of the Basic Law, the "National Anthem Law of the People's Republic of China" would be implemented in the HKSAR by way of local legislation consistent with the constitutional and legal regime of the HKSAR.
On 4 June 2020, the National Anthem Bill was passed at Third Reading by the Legislative Council. On 11 June 2020, the Chief Executive signed the National Anthem Ordinance in accordance with Article 48(1)(3) of the Basic Law.
On 12 June 2020, the National Anthem Ordinance came into force and regulates the details of playing and singing the national anthem in Hong Kong, and its protection and promotion.
| Official Chinese Lyrics | English Translation* |
| 中華人民共和國國歌 《義勇軍進行曲》 |
National Anthem of the People's Republic of China March of the Volunteers |
| 田漢作詞 聶耳作曲 |
Lyrics By Tien Han Composed by Nie Er |
起來！ 不願做奴隸的人們！ 把我們的血肉， 築成我們新的長城！ 中華民族到了最危險的時候， 每個人被迫著發出最後的吼聲。 起來！ 起來！ 起來！ 我們萬眾一心， 冒著敵人的炮火， 前進！ 冒著敵人的炮火， 前進！ 前進！ 前進！進！ |
Arise, We who refuse to be slaves! With our very flesh and blood, Let us build our new Great Wall! The peoples of China are at their most critical time, Everybody must roar defiance. Arise, Arise, Arise, Millions of hearts with one mind, Brave the enemy's gunfire, March On! Brave the enemy's gunfire, March On! March On! March On, On! |
*Source: http://english.www.gov.cn/audio
The content of the lyrics which reflects that the country was in a grim situation. For example, the lines "Arise, we who refuse to be slaves!" and "Brave the enemy's gunfire" imply that the nation was at war, while "The peoples of China are at their most critical time" and "Everybody must roar defiance" suggest that the nation was struggling for survival.
"March of the Volunteers" is a march. The trumpet introduction imitates the sound of the bugle giving a strong sense of rhythm. Its musical features include:
National Anthem Ordinance Details
《中華人民共和國國歌法》（Chinese only）Details
Under the National Anthem Ordinance, the national anthem must be played and sung on each occasion set out in Schedule 3.
(Source: Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau)
Section 3 of the National Anthem Ordinance stipulates that the national anthem must be played and sung in a way that is in keeping with its dignity. While the national anthem is being played and sung, the etiquette to be followed by the persons who take part in or attend the occasion is—
Note:
Music: Nie Er (1912-1935), formerly known as Nie Shouxin, was born in Kunming, Yunnan. As a teenager, he already showed a keen interest in music. He moved to Shanghai and wrote "March of the Volunteers".
Lyrics: Tian Han (1898-1968), also named Shouchang, was born in Changsha, Hunan. He was a pioneer in modern drama and opera reform movement of China. He once studied in Japan.