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Chinese People Inspired by the National Day Celebration

A series of high profile celebrations were staged in Beijing on Thursday to mark the 60th founding anniversary of the People's Republic of China. With the largest military parade in the new millennium, a colorful mass pageant featuring 100,000 people, and the largest ever fireworks display -- out doing even the 2008 Olympics -- China's capital came under the world's spotlight.

Spectators an the Tiananmen Square were found exceptionally impressed and proud to experience the occasion.

CRI's Da Min has more.

Reporter:

72-year old Yan Qingyuan is a retired professor of Henan University. He once participated in an organized event for the National Day celebration in 1966.

He says this year's massive celebration activities reminded him of that unforgettable experience and yet, made a pleasant sharp comparison.

"Back then, the celebration was simply a mass parade. Today we have those fancy floats and the impressive military parade by the three armed forces with advanced weaponry and airborne formations. The celebration activities have not only reflected people's love for their nation but also demonstrated China's status in the international community. It's really encouraging."

Yan says behind the comparison is the tremendous changes that have taken place in China over the past decades. For example, China's GDP of a single day today has surpassed that of a whole year the 1950s. China has become the world's third largest economy after the United States and Japan.

Yan Qingyuan's daughter, Yan Fei, who serves in the PLA, the People's Liberation Army of China, says the celebration activities served as an abstract of what China has achieved over the past 60 years.

"Thanks to the rapid development in all spheres including the economy, politics and culture over the past decades, China is able to present itself as a strong and promising nation in the world."

As an invited guest to the evening gala, Yan Fei was able to bring her daughter, Li Hongyan. The little girl said she was fascinated to see the fireworks in the middle of joyous crowd.

"Today is the 60th birthday of my motherland."

Yan Fei says she thinks what's more important to her daughter is not just the amazing fireworks and performance but also a sense of national pride.

"She watched the celebrations all day and she told me that China is great and she feels good to be Chinese. Through watching the parade, she got to know a bit more about her country, and that was the source of her felling proud. I think that's perhaps the most important gain for us to attend the National Day celebrations here."