At yesterday’s choreographed celebration of the 80th anniversary of China’s successful warfare against the colonial oppression from Japan, a chorus of 3,000 performed four special songs, chosen to evoke the memory and emotions of that nation-forming liberation from oppression. Xiao Xiangrong, deputy head of the team in charge of square commemorative activities and vice president of Beijing Dance Academy, told the Global Times about the program’s design.
The first song, “On the Songhua River,” represents the starting point of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression. In 1931, when Japan invaded Northeast China, the Communist Party of China (CPC) was the first to issue a declaration against the Japanese invaders. “The Chinese nation has endured tragic moments, but it cannot be defeated,” Xiao explained. “After hearing the song, everyone feels galvanized.”
The second piece, “On the Taihang Mountain,” underscores the CPC’s pivotal role in the resistance. It embodies the resolve to “make the enemy perish wherever they attack,” a defining spirit of the Chinese people’s fight.
