China marks National Day with flag-raising ceremony

Thousands flocked to Beijing's TiananmenSquare on Saturday morning to attend the flag raising ceremony for the country's 73rd National Day, celebrated annually on October 1, marking the establishment of the Communist People’s Republic of China.96 guards of honor escorted the national flag, marching from Tiananmen Gate to the square, as another 30 soldiers stood guard between the two sides of the Golden Water Bridge.

Spectators, wearing masks, watched the flag being raised in accordance to the sunrise and sang the national anthem. On Friday, President Xi Jinping and other top leaders attended a ceremony in the square paying tribute to those martyred in the struggle to establish the state.