Tuesday marks the 53rd founding anniversary of the People's Republic of China. Various activities are being held all over the country to celebrate the 53rd founding anniversary of the People's Republic.

Flag-raising

In the morning, a grand flag-raising ceremony in Beijing's Tiananmen Square attracted over 250 thousand onlookers.

National Day is commemorated every year by special flag￡-raising ceremonies, and this year was no exception. Crowds gathered at Tian'anmen Sqaure in Beijing early Tuesday morning for this year's event. It was part of the National Day celebrations for the 53rd birthday of the People's Republic of China.

Marching out of the gate of Tian'anmen Sqaure, these guards of honor began their flag￡-raising ceremony at ten past six this morning. But this one was special, for China's National Day.

The national anthem echoed solemnly throughout the square as crowds peered up at the flag waving over the new day.

Some tourists had stayed in the square overnight in order to get the best spot to watch the flag go up in the morning. The symbolic ceremony has become a must for many travelers who come to Beijing. Visitor Zhang Xiaoping from northern China's Xinjiang province was among them.

Zhang Xiaoping said:" The living standard of our lives has been better. I think it's our common wishes for a more developed country."

Many travelers took pictures to preserve a sweet memory. The Zhang family from central China's Hubei province has brought their son to see the ceremony. They told us that they hope the event will help their son love the motherland, and be proud of being a Chinese.

At one of Beijing's flag retailers, national flags of all sizes have become hot sellers over the past ten days. The small shop has sold some 4,000 large sizes, and a large number of small ones. Its manager told us that there is a gradual increase of ordinary Chinese buying flags, and using the miniature national flags as gifts to others has become a new fashion trend in the past few years. No wonder manager Han Yue told us that one reason he loves the national flag is that it could bring him fortune.

"With China's successful bidding for the 2008 Olympic Games and its WTO membership, more organizations will be established and more international meetings and competitions will be held in China. Thus, the demand for national flags will increase," said Han Yue, Sales Manager of SLS Flag Products Company.

Han Yue's remarks were echoed by a number of customers, who came to buy his flags.

"Raising a national flag is not just following government rules, but a reflection of our real mood. Anyhow, National Day is our people's own holiday," customer Chen Jian said.

The national flag was first raised over Tian'anmen Square in 1949, marking the birth of New China. And it has been repeated every day since then. The ceremony still attracts the interest of millions of people each year. Although the flag has meant different things to different people, it now rises over a more confident and prosperous country.

Activities Across China

The Chinese capital of Beijing has become a multi-colored beacon of light with spectacular outdoor illuminations to mark the week-long National Day holidays from Oct. 1 to 7.

Along the Chang'an Avenue, the major street in downtown Beijing,lamps and colored lights illuminated the whole street.

At the Tiananmen Square, artificial flower parterres were decorated with specially designed lighting facilities.

In Shanghai, over 1,400 activities have been organized, culminating with a huge fireworks display along the Huangpu River.

In Lhasa, capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region, a special flag-raising ceremony was held to celebrate the region's rapid economic development.

In Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), citizens celebrated the National Day on Tuesday along with officials from the central government and the garrison troops of the People's Liberation Army (PLA).

Accompanied by the national anthem, the national flag was raised to full mast in each PLA battalion as officers and soldiers stood by saluting in a show of respect for their five￡-star red flag. Later, the PLA men joined thousands of Hong Kong citizens in a grand variety show and a fireworks display at night to mark the nation's 53rd birthday.

Near Victoria Harbor, fireworks lit up the skies for almost half an hour. The display was divided into 10 spectacular scenes, illustrating Hong Kong's distinctiveness as well as the close relationship between the HKSAR and China.

National Day celebrations in Hong Kong wouldn't be complete without the HKSAR's favorite pastime ￡- horse racing. The traditional National Day Cup was held at Hong Kong's Sha Tin Racecourse. The sport has remained as popular as ever since Hong Kong's return to the Chinese mainland in 1997. Over the past five years, the National Day Cup has been held each year on October 1.

Overseas Chinese reflect on China's changes

Overseas Chinese and Chinese Americans in the United States held their own grand reception on Sunday in Washington DC to celebrate China's National Day. More than 500 people and Chinese students' representatives attended the reception. Chinese embassies in France, India and the Philippines also celebrated the occasion.

The Chairman of the American￡-Chinese Chamber of Industry and Commerce, Zhang Xiaobin, delivered a speech on behalf of all overseas Chinese and Chinese Americans in the US. He said China has undergone tremendous changes over the past 53 years.

The Chinese ambassador to the US, Yang Jiechi, briefed the participants on China's economic achievements and on the development of Sino￡-US relations over the past year. He expressed his appreciation and thanks to overseas Chinese and Chinese Americans for their efforts in promoting the reunification of the Chinese nation.

On Monday, the Chinese embassies in France, India and the Philippines also held receptions to mark the 53rd anniversary of the founding of new China. Chinese ambassadors to these countries spoke of China's unique path of development and said China will undergo further development, especially with China's WTO membership and successful 2008 Olympics bid.

They thanked overseas Chinese for contributing to the promotion of cooperation and friendship between the Chinese people and the peoples of France, India and the Philippines, and for promoting exchanges across the Taiwan Straits.

( October 2, 2002)