On October 1, 1949, Mao Zedong proclaimed the founding of the People's Republic of China at a ceremony in Tiananmen Square in the newly designated capital of Beijing (formerly Beiping). At this momentous event, the Central People's Government led by the Chinese Communist Party was officially declared, accompanied by the first-ever playing of the PRC national anthem, March of the Volunteers. The new nation was marked by the official unveiling of the Five-starred Red Flag of the People's Republic of China, which was hoisted during the ceremony to the sounds of a 21-gun salute in the distance. After the flag raising, the People's Liberation Army then celebrated with a public military parade.