ARTS / MUSIC
How one song becomes China’s anthem of pride
‘Voice of hearts’
Chinese fans sing Ode to the Motherland at the FIBA Asian Cup game in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on August 16, 2025. Photo: VCG
Despite a narrow FIBA Asian Cup title miss after a one-point defeat to Australian in the final on Sunday, the whole stadium of Chinese fans in Saudi Arabia sang Ode to the Motherland in acknowledgement to the Chinese national men's basketball team's best result in the tournament in the past decade.From the triumphant chorus in Changsha, Central China's Hunan Province in 2015 to the emotional rendition in Saudi Arabia, the song witnessed the Chinese team's rebound from a long struggle on the international stage and the emergence of a promising young generation of players.
"When the entire stadium of Chinese fans sang Ode to the Motherland, my eyes were filled with tears," said one social media user on China's lifestyle sharing platform Xiaohongshu after the final.
From celebrations commemorating the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China at Tiananmen Square on October 1, 2019, to the opening ceremony of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, and the successful launch of China's first manned spacecraft in 2003, Ode to the Motherland has borne witness to China's glorious moments and given voice to many generations' sincere love for their country since its birth in 1950.
Shi Yibing, a researcher at the Institute of Music Research at the Chinese National Academy of Arts, told the Global Time that the song is a timeless classic that transcends eras and has long become the ceremonial soundtrack to the nation's major official events.
Although the melody follows a Western major scale, the lyrics possess a distinctly "Chinese character" - majestic, composed and unhurried - highlighting the confidence and pride of Chinese people who have stood up, said Shi.
Today, with China's national strength vastly transformed, this song is not only the clarion call of China's "standing up," but also a reflection of its journey to becoming prosperous and strong, Shi noted.
When celebrating the 25th anniversary of Macao's return to the motherland at the Macao East Asian Games Dome in December 2024, the audience joined together in singing Ode to the Motherland with great pride and hope for the future, wishing for the nation's prosperity, peace and stability, as well as for Macao's continued progress and renewed brilliance.
Completed in one sitting
The creator of Ode to the Motherland is Wang Shen, a renowned Chinese musician from Dangkou township, Wuxi, in East China's Jiangsu Province. Hua Yi, director of the Wang Shen Memorial Hall, shared the story behind the song's creation with the Global Times on Tuesday.
In the autumn of 1950, as the People's Republic of China was about to celebrate its first anniversary, the Five-Starred Red Flag fluttered under the blue sky, and the Tiananmen Square was filled with jubilation. Wang traveled from Tianjin to Beijing to purchase musical instruments and witnessed the flag-raising ceremony at the Tiananmen Square.
Moved by the scene, inspiration struck Wang. On the train back to Tianjin, his thoughts raced. He began singing, writing and tapping out the rhythm, with both the lyrics and the melody pouring out almost simultaneously. He completed the opening section of Ode to the Motherland in one sitting, according to Hua.
Hua specifically mentioned that Wang didn't have any paper on hand at the time, so he composed the song on the back of a discarded cigarette pack, using a pen that had been gifted to him by his teacher, Xian Xinghai, the well-known composer of the Yellow River Cantata.
After returning home, Wang stayed up for several nights to finish the remainder of the song. On September 15, 1951, the People's Daily dedicated nearly half a page to recommending the song to the entire nation. By National Day, the song had swept across the nation and was widely sung. Since then, the influence of Ode to the Motherland has continued to grow, and in 1993, it was selected as one of the "Chinese Music Classics of the 20th Century."
Outpouring of passion
Wang passed away in Tianjin in 2007 at the age of 89. Just a year later, at the opening ceremony of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, a children's choir performed Ode to the Motherland, and the song resonated around the world.
What left the deepest impression on Hua, he recalled, was a remark Wang made when looking back on his life in his later years: "Although I composed many pieces in my lifetime, I believe I only wrote two songs. One is Ode to the Motherland, composed with musical notes, and the other is Ode to the Motherland, which I am still composing with my heart."
The song may appear to have been a sudden burst of inspiration for Wang on the eve of National Day in 1950, but it was in fact the outpouring of passion that had taken shape through his many years of revolutionary work - during his studies in Yan'an, Northwest China's Shaanxi Province and his service in the provinces of Hebei and Shanxi, Shi said.
It was not merely his personal expression, but the collective voice of an entire generation of revolutionaries. On the eve of China's first National Day, he saw the national flag fluttering in the wind at the Tiananmen Square. This vivid imagery was captured by the composer and transformed into lyrics, naturally stirring a deep sense of pride, Shi added.
Commenting on the special value of Ode to the Motherland, Feng Jicai, a renowned figure in Chinese literature, painting and cultural preservation, said, "It is the voice of our hearts."
"Whenever we feel a surge of passion for our country, when our hearts are filled with emotions for the nation, or when we want to express our pride and sense of honor, we naturally sing this song," Feng said.
The manuscript of Ode to the Motherland Photo: Courtesy of Wang Shen Memorial Hall
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