A flag-raising ceremony to celebrate the 74th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China is held at the Tian'anmen Square in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 1, 2023.(Photo: Xinhua)

At 6 am on Sunday morning bathed in the first rays of sunlight, more than 300,000 visitors on Sunday, who had waited for the whole night gathered in  Tian’anmen Square in Beijing  just to witness the solemn moment when the five-star red flag was raised, on the occasion of the 74th birthday of the People’s Republic of China, state broadcaster CCTV reported on Sunday.

Many of the visitors have arrived at the square as early as 8 pm the previous day to gain a good view of the flag-raising ceremony. Some waved little red flags in their hands, while others had “I love you, China” stickers on their faces – Everyone carried the same passionate anticipation for the annual celebration of the birthday of their motherland.

The square was decorated with a giant flower basket placed in its center, creating a festive and lively atmosphere as families and friends posed in front of it to capture the unforgettable moments.  

At 6:05 am on Sunday, the bugle call sounded for the flag-raising ceremony. The crowd fell silent as spectators held up their phones and cameras toward the flag guard.

“March forward!” with a command, the flag guard marched with powerful and resounding steps through the central arch of the Tian’anmen gate and over the Jinshui Bridge. “Salute to the flag!” All eyes in the audience were fixed on the soaring national flag as the solemn strains of the "March of the Volunteers" was played.

Liu Xing, a primary school student from Zibo, East China’s Shandong Province, came with his mother, standing in the front row of the crowd. He wore a red scarf around his neck. "My teacher told us in class that the red scarf is a corner of our national flag," Liu’s eyes shined as he said excitedly.

In recent years, waiting  a whole night to see the flag-raising ceremony on the Tian’anmen Square has become a popular way to mark China's national day for young people. For them, it has become a special way to bond and “the unique romance exclusively belonging to us Chinese.” 

Outside the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong and Macao Special Administrative Regions have also arranged a series of events celebrating the motherland’s birthday, including flag-raising ceremonies, grand banquets, art shows and firework performances. 

Ingrid Yeung Ho Poi-yan, Secretary for the Civil Service in Hong Kong, led the senior officials of the bureau to shoot a short video, extending the well-wishes for the prosperity and well-being of the motherland in both Cantonese and Putonghua. At the same time, the bureau's official Weibo account, Hong Kong Civil Service Bureau, was officially launched on Sunday.

Global Times