China celebrates National Day

Almost 120,000 people crowded Beijing's Tiananmen Square Saturday for a flag-raising ceremony for China's National Day, according to UPI. "We love our country," said Zhu Langlang, a freshman from Beijing Union University. "We hope China will grow stronger and our countrymen will lead even better lives." Hundreds of schoolchildren took part in activities celebrating China Saturday morning, Xinhua, China's state news agency, reported. More than 700 students in the city of Tongliao in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region put together a jigsaw puzzle that created a 49-by-33 foot national flag. "It's a unique way to celebrate National Day and I don't mind getting up early on the holiday," said Wang Juntong, a fourth grader at Horqin Experimental Primary School. Students from the coastal city of Xiamen celebrated National Day by visiting a cemetery for heroes. "It's important to learn history and remember the heroes who died for our country," said Xu Jingyi, a fourth-year student from Xiamen's Minli Primary School. This year marks the 100th anniversary of the 1911 revolution led by Dr. Sun Yat-sen that overthrew the Qing Dynasty, which ruled from 1644 to 1911. "I was born in 1949, the same year that New China was founded," said a tourist in Tiananmen Square. "The country has changed greatly over the years and we should cherish our happy lives."