National Anthem Comparison
China vs Taiwan
2
Shared themes
✗
Different moods
11
11 years apart
✓
Same continent
Comparison Analysis
China and Taiwan, both Asia nations, take distinct approaches to their national anthems. China's "March of the Volunteers" was written in 1935, while Taiwan's "National Anthem of the Republic of China" dates to 1924.
Both anthems share themes of unity and resilience. China additionally explores battle / war, while Taiwan also touches on hope and identity.
The emotional tones differ: China's anthem is fierce, while Taiwan's is solemn.
Shared themes
China
⚔ Battle / War 🤝 Unity 💪 Resilience
Taiwan
🤝 Unity 🌅 Hope 💪 Resilience 🏛 Identity
Shared themes:
🤝 Unity 💪 Resilience
Metadata
| China | Taiwan | |
|---|---|---|
| Written | 1935 | 1924 |
| Adopted | 1949 | 1937 |
| Lyricist | Tian Han | Sun Yat-sen (1924 Whampoa address), drafted with Hu Hanmin, Dai Jitao, Liao Zhongkai and Shao Yuanchong |
| Composer | Nie Er | Cheng Maoyun |
| Language | zh | zh |
| Region | East Asia | East Asia |
Lyrics Side by Side
China
义勇军进行曲
Original
起来！不愿做奴隶的人们！
把我们的血肉，筑成我们新的长城！
中华民族到了最危险的时候，
每个人被迫着发出最后的吼声。
起来！起来！起来！
我们万众一心，
冒着敌人的炮火，前进！
冒着敌人的炮火，前进！
前进！前进！进！
Translation
Arise, ye who refuse to be slaves!
With our very flesh and blood let us build our new Great Wall!
The Chinese nation has reached its most dangerous hour,
Everyone is forced to let out a final roar.
Arise! Arise! Arise!
Millions of hearts with one mind,
Brave the enemy's gunfire, march on!
Brave the enemy's gunfire, march on!
March on! March on! On!
Taiwan
中華民國國歌
Original
三民主義，吾黨所宗，
以建民國，以進大同，
咨爾多士，為民前鋒，
夙夜匪懈，主義是從，
矢勤矢勇，必信必忠，
一心一德，貫徹始終。
Translation
The Three Principles of the People, the foundation of our party;
With them we build the Republic, with them we advance to Great Unity.
O you worthy men, be the vanguard of the people;
Day and night never slacken, follow the Principles.
Be diligent, be brave, be sincere, be loyal;
With one heart and one virtue, carry it through from beginning to end.
Interesting facts
China
- 1. Lyricist Tian Han (1898 to 1968) was arrested by the Nationalist government in February 1935, just after finishing the lyrics for the film, so Nie Er set them to music while Tian was in prison; during the Cultural Revolution he was imprisoned again and died in custody in Beijing in 1968.
- 2. Composer Nie Er (1912 to 1935) drowned while swimming off Fujisawa, Japan, in July 1935, at the age of 23, only months after writing the music; he had left China that April, intending to travel on to study in the Soviet Union.
- 3. When the song was chosen in 1949, some objected to keeping its line that the Chinese nation faces its 'most dangerous time', since it suggested the country was still in peril; Zhou Enlai replied that China still faced imperialist enemies, and the line stayed.
- 4. African American singer Paul Robeson recorded the song in 1941 as 'Chee Lai!' (起来 'Arise'), in Mandarin and English, with Chinese musician and activist Liu Liangmo, helping to spread the melody worldwide during the Second World War.
- 5. Under the National Anthem Law of 2017, the anthem may not be used in trademarks or commercial advertising or as background music in public places; deliberately altering its lyrics or score in public, or performing it in a distorted or disparaging way, can bring a police warning or up to 15 days' detention, and serious cases are a crime under Article 299 of the Criminal Law.
Taiwan
- 1. The music was chosen through an open call issued by the Kuomintang in 1928: Cheng Maoyun's melody was picked from 139 entries
- 2. At the Olympics and other international sporting events, Taiwan competes as 'Chinese Taipei' under a 1981 agreement with the International Olympic Committee; since 1983 the melody of the separate National Flag Anthem has been played for its athletes instead of the national anthem
- 3. Because the words were seen as an exhortation to Kuomintang members, many felt that the party song could stand for the party but not for the nation. In 1936 a government committee advertised for new anthem lyrics, but it concluded that the Whampoa address best expressed the spirit of revolution and nation-building, and recommended it as the official anthem
Listen
China
Taiwan
