National Song of China

English

While The March of the Volunteers is the official anthem of China, The East is Red is regarded as the national song. Played at every dusk and dawn, in every city and village, it was considered the unofficial anthem during the Cultural Revolution of the 1960's.

It's alleged, Yi Youyuan, a farmer from Northern Shaanxi wrote the words after watching the rising of the morning sun. The melody, however, comes from a local folk song.

Today, it's a hesitant reminder of the "cult of personality" associated with Mao Zedong and the promotion of Communism, especially Maoism. Since the 1970's, because of these associations, the songs faded in popularity. It was from about this time the reformer, Chairman Deng Xiaoping, led China away from the Moa era and towards market economics.

The East is Red is still chimed hourly from the clock towers on the Bund in Shanghai and the Drum Tower in the North Eastern city of Xi'an.

English Translation

The east is red, the sun is rising.
China has brought forth a Mao Zedong.
He amasses fortune for the people,
Hurrah, he is the people's great savior.

Chairman Mao loves the people,
He is our guide,
To build a new China,
Hurrah, he leads us forward!

The Communist Party is like the sun,
Wherever it shines, it is bright.
Wherever there is a Communist Party,
Hurrah, there the people are liberated!

Chinese

Below are the Simplified Chinese lyrics for the East Is Red song

东方红，太阳升，
中国出了个毛泽东。
他为人民谋幸福，
呼尔嗨哟，他是人民大救星！

毛主席，爱人民，
他是我们的带路人，
为了建设新中国，
呼尔嗨哟，领导我们向前进！

共产党，像太阳，
照到哪里哪里亮。
哪里有了共产党，
呼尔嗨哟，哪里人民得解放！

Pinyin

Below are the Pinyin lyrics for the East Is Red song

Dōngfāng hóng, tàiyáng shēng,
Zhōngguó chū le ge Máo Zédōng,
Tā wèi rénmín móu xìngfú,
Hū ěr hei yo, tā shì rénmín dà jiù xīng!

Máo zhǔxí, ài rénmín,
Tā shì wǒmén de dài lù rén
Wèi le jiànshè xīn Zhōngguó,
Hū ěr hei yo, lǐngdǎo wǒmén xiàng qiánjìn!

Gòngchǎndǎng, xiàng tàiyáng,
Zhào dào nǎlǐ nǎlǐ liàng,
Nǎlǐ yǒu le Gòngchǎndǎng,
Hū ěr hei yo, nǎlǐ rénmín dé jiěfàng!

All

While The March of the Volunteers is the official anthem of China, The East is Red is regarded as the national song. Played at every dusk and dawn, in every city and village, it was considered the unofficial anthem during the Cultural Revolution of the 1960's.

It's alleged, Yi Youyuan, a farmer from Northern Shaanxi wrote the words after watching the rising of the morning sun. The melody, however, comes from a local folk song.

Today, it's a hesitant reminder of the "cult of personality" associated with Mao Zedong and the promotion of Communism, especially Maoism. Since the 1970's, because of these associations, the songs faded in popularity. It was from about this time the reformer, Chairman Deng Xiaoping, led China away from the Moa era and towards market economics.

The East is Red is still chimed hourly from the clock towers on the Bund in Shanghai and the Drum Tower in the North Eastern city of Xi'an.

English Translation