Photo taken on July 1, 2011 shows the national flag of China rises to the music of the national anthem at Tiananmen Square in Beijing, capital of China. Tens of thousands of people from all over China gathered at the square for the flag-raising ceremony in celebration of the 90th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China (CPC). (Xinhua/Luo Xiaoguang)
BEIJING -- More than 30,000 people from all over China gathered in Beijing's Tian'anmen Square for a flag-raising ceremony early Friday morning in celebration of the 90th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China (CPC).
At 4:48 a.m., the country's flag was hoisted, with the entire crowd joining in a vocal rendition of the national anthem.
Tibetan students and children who became handicapped after being injured in the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake were present at the ceremony.
"People in Sichuan [Province] have regained their confidence in the three years since the devastating Wenchuan earthquake. We have received great support from the CPC and our motherland," said Zhang Wei, the leader of a group of 30 handicapped children attending the ceremony.
"We got up at 1 a.m. to attend the ceremony," said Padma Yangzom, a primary school student from Nedong County in northwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region.
Gyezang, a teacher leading the group of Tibetan students, said it was the first time for the students to watch the flag-raising ceremony at Tian'anmen Square, adding that they were "very excited."
"The CPC has encountered some hardships over the past 90 years. I hope that under the leadership of the CPC, our country will continue to become greater," Gyezang said.
