A 17-year-old high school student and her mother cycled for over 80 days from northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region to the capital city of Beijing to witness the flag-raising ceremony in Tian'anmen Square marking the National Day, which falls on Wednesday.
Muyasser Maimitiniyazi and her mother were among the thousands of spectators who witnessed the flag-raising ceremony held in Tian'anmen Square on Wednesday morning to mark the 76th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China.
Witnessing the ceremony on the National Day was a dream come true for the teenager, who, along with her mother, embarked their bike journey from her hometown in Wushi County of Aksu Prefecture to Beijing on July 8.
"As a Chinese, witnessing the flag-raising ceremony even once in an entire lifetime feels worthwhile for me. My mom wanted this journey as a test to my willpower, and it was also my own wish [to come here and watch the flag-raising], so we rode our bicycles all the way here," said Maimitiniyazi.
The mother and the daughter arrived in Beijing on Sunday, just in time for the flag-raising ceremony on the National Day.
"The closer we got to the urban center, the more we felt the prosperity and greatness of our motherland. I feel that our country is becoming stronger and stronger," she said.
Maimitiniyazi and her mother arrived at Tian'anmen Square as early as Tuesday evening, to secure a spot where they could see the flag being raised up close.
"I feel very happy living in China. It's wonderful to see our 56 ethnic groups closely united as one, just like the way pomegranate seeds are tightly held together. I wish our motherland greater prosperity and development," she said.
Xinjiang high schooler bike 80 days with mother to Beijing for National Day flag-raising ceremony
