Unfurling flag with pride, passion

Tian'anmen Square duty fulfilled by elite unit of PLA

At 5 am on Sept 22, Beijing seemed asleep. The metro system had not yet started operating and the streetlights gave off only a dim glow. However, several people were already entering Tian'anmen Square. They had arrived early to grab the best spots to watch the national flag being raised, considered a must-see ceremony for visitors to the capital.

At 5:58 am, a formation of 66 honor guards set out from the Tian'anmen gate in the Forbidden City. They marched with legs extended when they crossed the Golden Water Bridge, which connects the Forbidden City and Chang'an Avenue. With military precision, each soldier took exactly 96 steps with a stride of 75 centimeters before the formation reached the flag position.

At 6:01 am, as the first rays of light pierced the morning mist, the national flag was unfurled and hoisted while the national anthem played, the pageantry heralding a new day.

The scene happens every day of the year, regardless of rain or snow, heat or cold. Generations of soldiers have vowed to guard the national flag with their lives, and they have overcome demanding physical challenges to make sure the ritual is flawless every morning.

The duty is undertaken by The Guard of Honor of the Chinese People's Liberation Army. It is not easy to become a member of the unit, and joining the elite team that raises the national flag has even stricter requirements.

All soldiers selected in the national flag guard unit have to be between 180 cm and 190 cm tall and meet other physical requirements, including neck length, shoulder width and leg shape.

They then have to undergo months of rigorous training that involves standing, marching and holding a gun. While the skills sound basic, the program is intense.

Chu Zeliang, who has served in the unit since 2012, said to strengthen his back and improve his stamina he used to place two bricks on his head and stand against a wooden support for four to five hours.

"It felt like your neck was about to break," he said.

Another major training drill is learning to march with legs extended in a goose step. To make sure the formation is in perfect unison, each step has to be 75 cm long and 30 cm above the ground. The steps are measured by instructors to ensure they are precise, and the exercise is repeated daily until muscle memory is formed.

"We kick out a set amount of goose steps every day and we have to hit the ground with our soles as hard as possible, because the harder you stomp, the better your feet grip the ground and the better step you make," he said.

Chu said he had lost count of how many goose steps they had practiced. Sometimes they trained with 3-kilogram sandbags tied to each calf. At the start of the training program it was not uncommon for newcomers to suffer leg cramps, ankle pain and swollen knees.