Thousands Pack Tiananmen Square as Crowds Watch National Flag Rise on National Day
As the autumn night air turned chilly in Beijing, travelers and students from across the country converged on Tiananmen Square to witness the National Day flag-raising ceremony. The midnight crowds packed the public space hours before dawn, setting up with travel bags and portable stools to secure viewing spots for the early morning ritual.
The Bottom Line
- The Setting: Tiananmen Square filled to capacity late into the night ahead of the morning flag-raising ceremony, with visitors waiting hours in the autumn cold.
- Student Voices: Young attendees included university students with personal ties to military service, revolutionary history, and regional education support.
- Future Commitments: Student participants detailed plans ranging from upcoming teaching posts in Xinjiang to military service.
Student Travelers Bring Personal History and Regional Teaching Plans to the Capital
Over the past three university summers, Ren traveled to rural areas to assist with local teaching programs.
Before arriving in Beijing, Ren received a special keepsake from a seven-year-old student at a teaching site: a handheld fan given after a long day in the classroom.
“That fan was actually given to me by a 7-year-old child locally when I went to Chongqing to teach in July 2025,” Ren noted, recounting the moment a student expressed a wish to become a teacher in the future.
Having declined a direct doctoral recommendation slot at her home university, Ren chose instead to spend a year teaching in Xinjiang. Before leaving for her assignment, she made a dedicated stop at Tiananmen Square to watch the national flag rise.
“I hope that one day I can bring the children from Xinjiang, where I teach, to experience the festival atmosphere together and let them stand in Tiananmen Square and watch the five-star red flag fly high,” Ren said.
Family Legacies and Military Ambitions Shape the Midnight Vigil
Other student attendees shared generational ties to national defense and military service while enduring the overnight wait.
His great-grandfather served as an anti-Japanese war veteran.
“In our family, grandparents, dad, and mom often tell me about my great-grandfather’s experiences on the battlefield back then,” Quan said, pointing to preserved documents, commemorative photos, and military medals left behind by his ancestor.
Zheng spent her undergraduate years marking National Day with the overnight vigil at the square.
Encouraged by her family, Zheng enlisted in military service.
“In this process, I gradually realized that the peace and stability of our country today is supported and guarded silently by many people behind the scenes,” Zheng said, adding that each viewing of the flag raising reinforces her commitment to apply her university studies toward national development.
| Name | University | Background / Affiliation | Future Plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ren Peiqi | Beijing University of Chemical Technology | Three-year summer volunteer teacher | One-year teaching assignment in Xinjiang |
| Quan Hong | Beijing Institute of Technology | Great-grandson of an anti-Japanese war veteran | Continuing university studies |
| Zheng Runzhi | Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications | Enlisted in military service; attendee of the National Day ceremony | Applying academic specialization to national service |
