10th anniversary of the People's Republic of China

Prominent international guests at the event included Ho Chi Minh, Mikhail Suslov, Emil Bodnăraș, Hermann Matern, Mehmet Shehu, Dimitar Ganev, István Dobi, Aleksander Zawadzki, Yumjaagiin Tsedenbal, Kim Il Sung and Antonín Novotný.

At Tiananmen Square participants formed a human version of the national emblem of the People's Republic with the numerals '1949' and '1959' on the sides.

A band of one thousand musicians with brass instruments and olive-green uniforms opened the event, playing The East is Red at 09.45.

Other dignitaries on the dias included Liu Shaoqi, Soong Ching-ling, Lin Biao, Zhu De, Dong Biwu, Deng Xiaoping and various international guests.

The national anthem was played and a delegation of 400 Young Pioneers presented a floral tribute at the People's Heroes Monument.