In February, a series of crowd-based activities was launched by CCTV to mark the Chinese Lunar New Year. People also sang Me and My Motherland, and various renditions of the song broke out in cities around the country.

"I have rearranged the song with four different versions in the past six months, and the crowd in Tian'anmen Square on Tuesday was the largest to sing it," said Huang Kairan, composer of the China National Symphony Orchestra. "This version of the song was arranged for participants from different occupations and a wide range of ages-teenagers, soldiers and even the hearing-impaired, who sang the song using sign language. We sang it together to express our best wishes for the country."

As one of the major anniversary events, the 90-minute gala started at around 8 pm with fireworks rocketing into the sky. Celebrated Chinese artist Cai Guoqiang joined the effort as chief fireworks director. Amid large-scale performances, six fireworks showcases were presented, including one that displayed the number 70 over the square.

More than 1,000 musicians from 16 symphonies across the country and a large choir comprising more than 1,400 primary and middle school students performed together.