Young survivors from quake-hit region experience Beijing for Children´s Day

Source: Xinhua | 06-01-2008 08:48

BEIJING, May 31 (Xinhua) -- Visiting the grand National Stadium and viewing the solemn national flag raising ceremony, the dreams of children from quake-hit regions came true on Saturday, just ahead of the upcoming International Children's Day.

About 150 students from quake-hit Sichuan Province were invited to China's capital in recent days to spend Sunday's Children's Day together with their peers.

At 4:50 a.m. on Saturday, the students gathered at Tianan'men Square to watch the national flag raising ceremony, living out their own dreams as well as as those of the deceased.

Feng Zhiyan, a primary school student from Hongbai Township of Shifang City, is the youngest child in her family. She lost her father, Feng Qiang, a teacher of Hongbai Middle School, during the quake.

"I feel my father is beside me and he has not left," she said. Her father sacrificed his life to save his colleagues.

"I love and respect my father," she said. "I really hope he can stand beside me now to watch the ceremony."

Zhang Ming, a student from Beichuan Middle School, together with 40 classmates watched the ceremony with excitement. "This is my first time to come to Beijing and I was so exited to go to bed last night."

But when he talked about his nine classmates killed during the catastrophe, his eyes fill with tears. "I miss my classmates and they had always dreamed of coming to Beijing too."