2018年CRI Tomb Sweeping Day, a day for remembering heroes

As part of the activities during the Qingming Festival, or China's Tomb Sweeping 1 Day, people pay respects to the revolutionary martyrs 2 and national heroes who shed their blood in their service for the country.

In Tongliao City of north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous 3 Region, over 1,500 people came to the city's martyrs' cemetery 4, laying wreaths and flowers in front of the martyrs' monument and paying silent tribute to the sacrifices that were made for their country.

"They sacrificed themselves for the country and its people. We should never forget them," said Zhao Ruilan, a veteran who was there on the day.

Meanwhile, in south China's Guangdong Province, officers of a local Coast Guard unit lined up on their patrol boat, tossing flower petals 5 into the sea in memory of their fallen comrades.

"This commemoration is not only a purification of our spirit, but also a call of duty. We work hard with the revolutionary forefathers 6 as our role models, inheriting their spiritual legacy 7 and conscientiously 8 taking on our responsibilities," said Chen Lin, a Coast Guard officer.

Over the last few years, China's top leadership has stressed the importance of remembering the sacrifice of the country's national heroes.

President Xi Jinping has been an example for others, by paying tribute to martyrs and national heroes, as well as by meeting the martyrs' descendants, every time he visits historical revolutionary base areas in China.

Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, has stressed on several occasions that "a nation that is hopeful cannot be without heroes, and a promising 9 country cannot be without pioneers," a sentiment he shared during a ceremony in 2015 where he awarded medals to veterans who fought in World War II.

"We must always remember the heroes who made sacrifices and contributions to the Chinese nation and the Chinese people, and respect them, learn from them, take good care of them, and defend their rights," said Xi Jinping.

The following year, during a speech marking the 95th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China, Xi Jinping reminded the people of China that they should never forget those who gave their lives for their nation and for peace.

Chinese President Xi Jinping delivers a keynote speech marking the 95th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China on July 1, 2016. [Photo: Xinhua/Liu Weibing]

Chinese President Xi Jinping delivers a keynote speech marking the 95th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China on July 1, 2016. [Photo: Xinhua/Liu Weibing]

"Fearless, righteous vows 10, such as 'Beheading is nothing to me, a true communist who'd be' and 'The enemy can hack 11 off our heads, but they can never shake our beliefs,' vividly 12 express the uncompromising belief of communists in their ideals. The ideals can never be extinguished, nor can their beliefs. We must always remember the unfulfilled wishes of those martyrs, and we must never forget the ideals for which they spilled their blood," said Xi Jinping.

The Qingming Festival is traditionally a time when Chinese pay tribute to the dead, including their deceased family members and ancestors.