"Ode to the Motherland"[1] (simplified Chinese: 歌唱祖国; traditional Chinese: 歌唱祖國; pinyin: Gēchàng Zǔguó) is a patriotic song of the People's Republic of China, written and music composed by Wang Shen[2] (王莘; Wáng Shēn; 26 October 1918–October 15, 2007) during the period immediately after the founding of the People's Republic of China (1949–1951).
During the Cultural Revolution, its name was Ode to the Socialist Motherland and the lyrics heavily referenced communism and praise of Mao Zedong.
It is the opening music of the radio programmes News and Newspapers Summary (新闻和报纸摘要) and National Network News (全国新闻联播) on China National Radio.
[citation needed] Wang Shen, a musician from the nearby city of Tianjin, started writing this song in late September 1950, shortly after he saw the sea of fluttering Chinese flags at Tiananmen Square during the preparation period for the first National Day of the People's Republic of China, which was to be held on 1 October that year.
The song's lyrics and its music composition were officially published on 15 September 1951 in the People's Daily, being promoted widely by the Ministry of Culture of China in time for the National Day festivities.