Chinese President Xi Jinping will attend a grand gathering to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China (PRC) on Oct. 1.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, will deliver an important speech at the event, said Wang Xiaohui, executive deputy head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, at a press conference held Thursday.

A military parade and mass pageantry will be held following the gathering, Wang said.

At a grand evening gala in Tian'anmen Square on National Day, Party and state leaders will join the public to watch performances and a fireworks show.

Xi will also present the Medals of the Republic, Medals of Friendship and national titles of honor to outstanding individuals at an award ceremony to be held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

On Sept. 30, the country's Martyrs' Day, people from various sectors, including Party and state leaders, will present flowers to deceased national heroes at the Monument to the People's Heroes at Tian'anmen Square.

A National Day reception will be held at the Great Hall of the People and President Xi will give an important speech.

Broad participation

"The 70th anniversary of the PRC is a festival shared by Chinese people of all ethnic groups, which is why the celebrations will highlight the participation of the people," Wang said.

According to him, more than 100,000 ordinary citizens will take part in the mass pageantry on Oct. 1 and about 60,000 will attend the evening gala on the same day, while about 30,000 members of the public will be invited to observe the gathering and military parade.

Among the guests of the gathering and military parade, there will be people who made outstanding contributions to the republic's founding and development together with their families as well as about 1,500 role models including outstanding Party members, model civil servants and workers.

Military parade

The military parade is an important part of the National Day celebrations and is not aimed at any other countries or specific situations, Cai Zhijun, deputy head of the office of the leading group for the military parade, said at the press conference.

The scale of the parade will be greater than the ones commemorating the 50th and 60th founding anniversary of the PRC, as well as the V-Day military parade in 2015, he said.

The military parade is expected to showcase China's achievements in building its national defense and armed forces in the past 70 years and reflect the outcomes of the reform of the people's armed forces, according to Cai.

Rich celebration

"There will be rich and colorful celebrations spanning various sectors and regions," Wang said.

An evening gala featuring music and dance will be held in the Great Hall of the People. From September, the Beijing Exhibition Center will host a large-scale exhibition on the achievements of the PRC in the past seven decades.

The CPC Central Committee, the State Council and the Central Military Commission will jointly issue medals in commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the PRC as part of the celebrations.

Commemorative coins and stamps will be issued and a documentary will be made.

The celebrations will also be carefully budgeted and avoid extravagance, Wang said.