Editor's Notes:

2009 marks the 60th anniversary of the founding of People's Republic of China. Since 1949, enormous changes have taken place in China, and many events have gone down in history as a part of the national memory. In the next 6 weeks, China.org.cn will present a series of old photos to review the past 60 years in order to remember the great people and achievements of the country.

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1 On February 17, 1979, the Chinese People's Liberation Army launched a self-defensive counterattack against Vietnam in the border areas of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and Yunnan Province.
2 On February 17, 1979, the Chinese People's Liberation Army launched a self-defensive counterattack against Vietnam in the border areas of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and Yunnan Province.
3 In order to increase exports and promote foreign trade volumes for local enterprises, China's central government decided to delegate south China's Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Shantou and Xiamen as the Special Economic Zone pilot cities on July 15, 1979.
4 In order to increase exports and promote foreign trade volumes for local enterprises, China's central government decided to delegate south China's Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Shantou and Xiamen as the Special Economic Zone pilot cities on July 15, 1979.
5 On September 26, 1980, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China announced that the counter-revolutionary group Gang of Four, led by Jiang Qing and Lin Biao, would be put on trial within a month. The punishment for these offenders was delivered on January 25, 1981.
6 Photo taken for the Yangtze River closure of Gezhouba Water Control Project on January 3, 1981.
7 Photo taken for the Yangtze River closure of Gezhouba Water Control Project on January 3, 1981.
8 In 1982, the Communist Party of China adopted a "One-Child Policy" as the basic national policy. This photo shows an insurance company staff member conducting an "endowment insurance" contract for a "two-daughter" family among the villagers.
9 The 1st National University Games was held in Beijing on August 10-19, 1982. There were 2,255 university student participants in the track and field, athletic gymnastics, rhythmic gymnastics and table tennis events. This photo was taken during the opening ceremony.
10 In 1982, China's 1st radar gun was developed by the Ministry of Communications' Highway Safety Research Center.
11 On January 1, 1982, the CPC Central Committee endorsed a "national rural work meeting summary" and pointed out that the existing responsibility systems in rural areas, including contracting work for fixed rate salaries, and contracting output quotas to household, are all production responsibility systems under a socialist collective economy.
12 China's first Spring Festival Gala Evening event, held by CCTV, appeared on stage in 1983 and received warm welcomes and praise from the whole nation. From then on, family members would spend the eve of the traditional Chinese New Year watching the broadcast with happy laughter and cheerful voices.
13 China's first Spring Festival Gala Evening event, held by CCTV, appeared on stage in 1983 and received warm welcomes and praise from the whole nation. From then on, family members would spend the eve of the traditional Chinese New Year watching the broadcast with happy laughter and cheerful voices.
14 China's first supercomputer, the Galaxy I, was invented by the Computer Research Center of the National University of Defense Technology in Changsha, China's south-central Hunan Province, on December 22, 1983. Capable of 100 million calculations per second, it marked China's procession into the ranks of the world's supercomputer producing countries.
15 At the 23rd Olympic Games held in Los Angeles in 1984, Xu Haifeng won the gold medal in the 50m pistol shooting. It was China's first gold at the Olympics.
16 At the 23rd Olympic Games held in Los Angeles in 1984, Xu Haifeng won the gold medal in the 50m pistol shooting. It was China's first gold at the Olympics.
17 By cooperating with Japanese scholars, China's professor Xu Rigan succeeded in the cultivation of the first IVF goat in the world when he was doing research on the external fertilization of goats and sheep. He has been engaged in research on embryo transfer since the early 1970s.
18 On November 20, 1984, China's expedition team for the scientific investigation of the South Pole set sail for the first time by embarking on the Chinese-made science vessel "Xiang Yang Hong 10." They later landed on King George Island on December 30 of the same year.
19 In January 1985, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China suggested that the Yangtze River Delta, Pearl River Delta and the coastal regions of southern Fujian should be developed into coastal economic zones.
20 In 1985, Chairman of the Chinese Central Military Commission Deng Xiaoping pointed out that China should downsize the army by 1 million and strengthen the quality of its military forces instead.
21 On February 1, 1986, China successfully launched its first operational communications and broadcast satellite, the "Dong Fang Hong 2."
22 In 1986, the Chinese women's volleyball team took the 5th consecutive win at the World Women's Volleyball Championship held in Czechoslovakia to become the first team in volleyball history who had won "five successive championships".
23 In 1986, the Chinese women's volleyball team took the 5th consecutive win at the World Women's Volleyball Championship held in Czechoslovakia to become the first team in volleyball history who had won "five successive championships".
24 On January 8, 1986，China's second automobile industrial base was established and put in use. It was the second largest base and had a production capacity of 85,000 automobiles per year.
25 On September 14, 1987, scholars from China and Germany drafted an e-mail and sent it to Germany on September 20. This sending of the first e-mail marked China's entry into the Internet Age.
26 On May 6, 1987, devastating forest fires occurred in northeast China's Greater Hinggan Mountain Range, causing great losses for the local people.
27 On May 6, 1987, devastating forest fires occurred in northeast China's Greater Hinggan Mountain Range, causing great losses for the local people.
28 In 1987, people were crazy about buying things. They did not care whether the quality was high or poor, nor were they concerned with necessity.
29 In 1987, people were crazy about buying things. They did not care whether the quality was high or poor, nor were they concerned with necessity.
30 In 1987, people were crazy about buying things. They did not care whether the quality was high or poor, nor were they concerned with necessity.
31 China's first cellular mobile telephone system was put into use in south China's Guangdong Province on November 18, 1987.
32 The first Chinese mainland test-tube baby was born on March 10, 1988.
33 The People's Republic of China's first batch of lottery tickets was issued in 1987. The China Social Benefits Lottery Commission was established in Beijing on June 3, 1987, aiming to raise money for social benefits by issuing lotteries.
34 The People's Republic of China's first batch of lottery tickets was issued in 1987. The China Social Benefits Lottery Commission was established in Beijing on June 3, 1987, aiming to raise money for social benefits by issuing lotteries.
35 China finished its first physics collider, the Beijing Electron-Positron Collider (BEPC), in 1988. It enabled the country's scientists to carry out cutting-edge research in high-energy fields independent of foreign installations.
36 While meeting Czechoslovakian president Gustav Husak on September 5, 1988, senior Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping put forward the theory that "science and technology is the primary productive force."
37 On September 7, 1988, China launched its first experimental SSO meteorological satellite, the "Feng Yun 1." The China Meteorological Satellite Ground Receiving Station received visible and infrared pictures with high resolution from the satellite.
38 China achieved an underwater JL-1 missile launch from a Type 092 (Xia class) nuclear-powered missile submarine (SSBN) at Bohai Sea on September 15, 1988. This was the first successful JL-1 test of the Type 092 SSBN.
39 China developed the recombinant hepatitis B vaccine in 1988.
40 In March 1988, an amendment to the Constitution was ratified during the first session of the Seventh National People's Congress. It stated that the state would permit the private sector of the economy to exist and develop within the limits prescribed by law. In addition, the private sector of the economy would be a complement to the socialist public economy, and the state, exercising guidance and supervision, would protect its lawful rights and interests.