China’s Cities Decked Out for 77th National Day
Cities across China have been transformed with red flags and floral displays ahead of National Day on October 1, as the country prepares to mark the 77th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China. A video segment from state broadcaster CCTV News, republished by The Paper, showed newly decorated streets, plazas and commercial districts in Xinjiang, Chongqing, Shandong and Fujian.
A Citywide “China Red”
In Fuzhou, the capital of southeastern Fujian province, main roads, shopping districts and historic streets were dressed in what state media described as “red finery.” Bright red flags were arrayed along the city’s main arteries against autumn’s blue sky and greenery, producing a citywide “China Red” effect. “Flowers reflect the red flags, and the whole city is ‘China Red,’ carrying everyone’s sincere wishes for the motherland’s prosperity and the nation’s peace and stability,” the report said.
In the northwestern region of Xinjiang, the city of Hami was redecorated with colorful flowers and elaborate flowerbeds. National flags flew along main and secondary roads, and on Jianguo South Road and Yingbin Road, more than 100 “hero-themed” light boxes were unveiled, creating what the report called a distinctive red landscape.
In Chongqing’s Yuzhong district, Five-Star Red Flags hung from street lamp posts across the Jiefangbei commercial district. Brightly colored floral displays carried auspicious slogans such as “Celebrate National Day” and “Bless the Motherland,” while pedestrians and out-of-town tourists filled the streets taking photographs.
In Qingzhou, Shandong province, the annual Flower Expo coincided with the holiday. Its 25,000-square-meter exhibition area displayed tens of thousands of potted flowers in full bloom, according to the same report, which was also carried by Phoenix Net.
Red Culture Takes Center Stage
Alongside the decorations, several sites launched or upgraded revolutionary-history exhibits. The Xibaipo Memorial Hall, a key site associated with the Communist Party’s wartime headquarters, completed a renovation of its main exhibition hall. The upgraded exhibition, “New China Marches from Here,” opens to the public on National Day and adds a section on the “Xibaipo Spirit” alongside new digital and interactive displays.
In Songzi, Hubei province, a “Digital First Congress” venue opened ahead of the holiday at the Weishui scenic area, featuring a Party-history exhibition hall and an immersive virtual-reality hall that uses large-space VR technology to let visitors “travel back” a century. In Yancheng, Jiangsu province, authorities staged the themed performance “The Eternal Long March” to commemorate revolutionary martyrs.
A Global Milestone Underway
The decorations come as Chinese diplomatic missions worldwide hold receptions marking the 77th anniversary. On September 25, the Chinese Embassy in the United Kingdom hosted an event attended by more than 500 guests, with Ambassador Zheng Zeguang delivering remarks on China’s development and its relationship with Britain, according to the embassy.
Similar receptions were held in Singapore on September 21, where Ambassador Cao Zhongming addressed more than 800 guests (embassy statement), and in Tokyo on September 24, where roughly 1,600 people attended an event hosted by Ambassador Wu Jianghao (Japan embassy).
Analysis: A Holiday as Political Messaging
National Day is China’s most significant civic occasion, marking Mao Zedong’s proclamation of the People’s Republic on October 1, 1949. The annual decorations and the pairing of patriotic display with “red culture” programming follow a well-established pattern in state media framing, in which the holiday serves both as a moment of public celebration and as a vehicle for reinforcing official narratives around national rejuvenation.
The report is sourced entirely from CCTV News, China’s state broadcaster, and was republished verbatim by The Paper and Phoenix Net. This single-source origin means specific local details, such as the exact number of light boxes in Hami or the scale of floral installations, cannot be independently verified from the material available. The tone is celebratory and patriotic, consistent with official coverage of the holiday.
What’s Next
National Day on October 1 kicks off a multi-day public holiday, a period that typically sees heavy domestic travel, mass tourism and a surge in consumer spending. The coming week will bring extensive state media coverage of holiday activities, patriotic programming and the opening of venues such as the Xibaipo exhibition. For observers, the scale and messaging of this year’s celebrations, arriving at the 77th anniversary and in the opening year of the 15th Five-Year Plan period, may offer a signal of the themes Beijing intends to emphasize in the months ahead.