Dream fulfilled

At about 3:30 am on Sept 15, Zheng Chuansong, 87, was among a large crowd waiting to watch the flag-raising ceremony, which he had long dreamed of doing.

"Now I am finally here, I feel so happy. But what makes me even happier is seeing how many young people have arrived this early," said Zheng, who comes from Ezhou, Hubei province.

Zheng had never traveled outside Hubei before. His trip to Beijing was organized by Zheng Kun, 26, his granddaughter, who wanted him to fulfill his lifelong dream before she went to study overseas at the end of last month.

Zheng Kun said she had seen videos of people sprinting to be in the front row for the ceremony, and she understood why they are so eager to watch the event.

"I would do the same, were it not for my grandfather, who can only walk slowly. Seeing the Guard of Honor and the national flag being raised right in front of them must make people even more emotional," Zheng Kun said.

"I watched the ceremony when I was younger, and I can still remember how proud I was. It will be extra special for me this time because my grandfather and parents are here," she added.

Close by, Yin Ziyang and Zhou Kaikai were also waiting in line. The two construction engineers were on a business trip to Beijing, and Yin, 22, raised the idea of squeezing the flag-raising ceremony into their packed schedule.

"My parents often said they wanted to watch the ceremony when I was growing up, so their wish naturally became mine, too," Yin said. "My parents and I would have regretted it if I had not been able to see the ceremony during my time in Beijing."

Yin initially believed that a little persuasion might be needed for Zhou to agree to his plan to watch the ceremony, which included booking a hotel near Tian'anmen Square and getting up at 3 am, but Zhou readily accepted the idea.

"It was a great suggestion, and one that I could not refuse," Zhou, 24, said. "After seeing the grand and solemn flag-raising ceremonies in Tian'anmen Square during major events on television, I always wanted to know what it would be like to watch this event in person."

Cheng, the Chengdu student, said she is glad to know that many people, especially the younger generation, have shown a great interest in the ceremony after it become a hot topic on social media.

"Although young people may not often express their love for the country, others shouldn't underestimate how patriotic they are and how united they can be when the country needs them," she said.

"Seeing the efforts young people are willing to make to see the ceremony as close up as possible, patriotism is no longer an abstract concept to me."