Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, October 1st, Title: Let’s wish our great motherland a happy birthday together – Side notes of the flag-raising ceremony marking the 74th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China in Tiananmen Square
Xinhua News Agency reporter Tai Sicong
In the early morning of October 1, a grand flag-raising ceremony was held in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square to celebrate the 74th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China.Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Ju Huanzong
On October 1, more than 300,000 people gathered in Tiananmen Square, Beijing. They have the same wish – to celebrate the 74th birthday of our great motherland.
Before 6 a.m., a large number of tourists were already waiting around Tiananmen Square. Under the illumination of the lanterns, they looked expectantly from time to time, hoping to welcome the appearance of the national flag as soon as possible.
Among the tourists who came from all over the country, 9-year-old Liu Jiaze and his mother Xin Miao took advantage of the holidays to visit Beijing. They were lucky enough to “snatch” a seat in the first row. “This is the first time for my child to come to Tiananmen Square to watch the flag raising. I hope he can remember the hard-won good life we have now, and I also wish that our motherland will get better and better and the people will become happier,” Xin Miao said.
Standing in the front row was Yin Xiaowen’s family, who had gone straight to Tiananmen Square after getting off the train the day before. Yin Xiaowen, who is in the second grade of junior high school from Xi’an, Shaanxi, came to the capital Beijing with his family to “celebrate the birthday” of his motherland with the national flag waving in his hands. “Today is the 74th birthday of our great motherland. I hope our motherland will become more prosperous.”
At 6:06, a burst of sonorous footsteps came from under the arched gate of Tiananmen. A flag-protecting formation composed of 96 members of the People’s Liberation Army honor guard marched from north to south in neat steps under the gaze of tourists. People hold their breath and wait for the solemn moment of the national flag raising.
“Salute to the National Flag!” At 6:09, along with the slogans of the honor guard, the “March of the Volunteers” resounded throughout Tiananmen Square.
“Rise up, people who don’t want to be slaves, build our new Great Wall with our flesh and blood…” During the national anthem, the audience watched firmly as the bright five-star red flag slowly rose. As the national flag was rising, everyone kept waving the national flag in their hands, and cheers echoed over the square.
Gao Yuqing, a junior from Tianjin Vocational and Technical Normal University, was extremely excited after watching the flag-raising ceremony. It was her first time to watch the flag-raising in Tiananmen Square, and she and her classmates took photos with the national flag. “This was my first time to watch the flag-raising ceremony up close. The moment the flag reached the top, the national anthem rang through my ears and I felt tears filling my eyes.” Talking about the experience of watching the flag-raising ceremony up close and live, Gao Yuqing’s eyes twinkled. With tears. As a normal student majoring in mathematics, she is determined to become an excellent people’s teacher and contribute to the development of the motherland.
On Tiananmen Square, on the north side of the Monument to the People’s Heroes, is a giant 18-meter-high “Bless the Motherland” flower basket. The flower baskets composed of peonies, roses, carnations and other flowers as well as “grain” shapes with the meaning of “abundance of grains” are even more festive and eye-catching.
Luo Liuzeng, a 74-year-old man from Puyang, Henan, watched the flag-raising ceremony with excitement. He was the same age as the Republic and felt an unparalleled shock at the ceremony. “I came to Beijing many days in advance to visit, and what I look forward to most is to be able to watch the flag-raising ceremony on National Day.” Luo Liuzeng lamented all the wonderful changes that have taken place in his life in recent years. “In recent years, the harvests of corn and soybeans grown on our land have been very good. Our income has increased every year. Our increasingly prosperous motherland has made our lives richer.”
After the national anthem ended, the dove of peace was released and circled over the square. At this moment, people’s enthusiasm reached a climax again. Along with the music of “Ode to the Motherland”, people sang happily and shouted “Bless the Motherland” and “Long Live the Motherland”.
At this time, the golden rising sun illuminates the entire Tiananmen Square. People take photos in the warm sunshine, let go of their dreams, and face the rising sun towards a better future.
[Editor in charge: Yang Xiaoheng]
2023-10-01 09:57:00
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