dexinwin BEIJING, September 27— Before dawn, Tiananmen Square began filling with visitors waiting for the daily flag-raising ceremony. Among them recently were young people from Hong Kong and Macao who traveled to Beijing for an exchange program, with watching the national flag rise at Tiananmen Square becoming one of the most anticipated experiences of their trip.
For some Hong Kong students, it was their first time watching the ceremony in person. The experience was markedly different from seeing the ceremony on television or online: the honor guard approaching the flagpole, the national anthem playing across the square and the Chinese national flag slowly rising with the morning light left a deep impression on many participants. Hong Kong media have recently reported extensively on the visit by Hong Kong and Macao youth to Beijing and their participation in the flag-raising ceremony.
Arriving Before Dawn to See the Ceremony
Watching the flag-raising ceremony at Tiananmen is not something most visitors can simply decide to do at the last minute.
Beijing's Tiananmen area operates a real-name reservation system, and visitor numbers can become particularly high during major holidays and special events. Previous official visitor notices have advised tourists to make reservations in advance, especially when large crowds are expected.
Some of the Hong Kong and Macao students participating in the latest Beijing exchange program reportedly woke up around 3 a.m. to travel to Tiananmen.
Hong Kong media reported that one Hong Kong school principal described the early-morning departure as part of the effort to make sure students could experience the ceremony. A nine-year-old Hong Kong primary school student also attracted attention after watching the Tiananmen flag-raising ceremony for the first time and expressing a wish to participate in similar activities in the future.
For many young visitors, the waiting itself becomes part of the experience.
The square gradually comes alive under the lights as people arrive from different directions. Some carry cameras and smartphones, while others simply stand quietly and wait.
When the honor guard appears, the atmosphere becomes noticeably more solemn.
A First Flag-Raising Experience for Hong Kong Students
Hong Kong students have previously described their experiences watching the Tiananmen ceremony.
In 2022, for example, a Hong Kong student studying computer science at Tsinghua University watched the flag-raising ceremony at Tiananmen for the first time. He described it as a memory that would remain with him for the rest of his life.
This September, more Hong Kong students visited Tiananmen as part of the latest youth exchange activities.
Hong Kong media reported that representatives of Hong Kong and Macao student flag-raising teams watched the ceremony from the Tiananmen viewing platform, describing the experience as impressive and spectacular. Some students also said they hoped to bring more classmates to Beijing in the future.
For many of them, watching the flag rise has therefore become one of the defining memories of their Beijing trip.
What the “Eight Words” Represent
A phrase circulating online about a Hong Kong girl writing “eight words” after watching the ceremony has attracted attention.
While the specific wording and identity behind that viral description have not been independently verified in reliable public sources, the broader reactions reported from Hong Kong and Macao students repeatedly center on words such as “spectacular” and “unforgettable.”
The experience of watching the ceremony in person is different from watching a recording.
Visitors can see the honor guard's movements at close range, hear the national anthem across the square and experience thousands of people standing together as the national flag rises.
That combination of sights, sounds and atmosphere cannot be completely reproduced through a video screen.
From Hong Kong to Beijing by High-Speed Rail
Improved transportation links between Hong Kong and mainland China have also made educational and cultural exchanges more accessible.
In 2023, People's Daily reported on Hong Kong students traveling to Beijing by high-speed rail. The students traveled from Hong Kong through Shenzhen and across the Yangtze and Yellow rivers before arriving in Beijing after more than eight hours. They visited the Palace Museum and watched the Tiananmen flag-raising ceremony during their study trip.
Today, more young people from Hong Kong are visiting mainland cities through study programs, exchanges and tourism.
For many of them, places they previously encountered only through textbooks, films or online videos can now be experienced in person.
A Shared Memory for a New Generation
The Tiananmen flag-raising ceremony has become one of Beijing's most recognizable public cultural experiences.
The first national flag of the People's Republic of China was raised at Tiananmen on October 1, 1949. A new flag-raising ceremony format was introduced at Tiananmen Square in May 1991, and the ceremony subsequently became a major public event attracting visitors from across China and around the world.
For the Hong Kong teenagers and children participating in the latest exchange, the experience is more than simply another sightseeing stop.
They woke before dawn, traveled through a Beijing that had not yet fully awakened and eventually stood in Tiananmen Square waiting for the national flag to rise.
At that moment, the Beijing they had encountered in textbooks, news reports and videos became a physical experience.
Perhaps that is why a few simple words such as “spectacular” and “unforgettable” can carry so much meaning for a young visitor experiencing Tiananmen for the first time.
For these Hong Kong and Macao students, the Beijing trip may ultimately leave them with more than a photograph of Tiananmen Square — it may become a personal memory of a city, a ceremony and a moment they experienced for themselves.
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