With the wish that our motherland will shine forever like the sun and the moon, the flag raising ceremony always begins at sunrise. First, the National Flag Raising Squad created a timetable of flag raising and lowering every 10 days. Later, they verify with the Beijing Astronomical Observatory the exact daily sunrise and sunset times in Beijing. They combine the timetable with observational notes on the square and make a final timetable for the flag raising and lowering, in order to be sure the National Flag always rises together with the sun.

For instance, they may get information from the Beijing Astronomical Observatory that the time period between the sun appearing on the horizon and leaving the horizon is two minutes and seven seconds. Therefore, they adjust the speed and tempo of the flag raising and lowering within that time period. Scientists at the Beijing Astronomical Observatory study and establish the flag raising and lowering timetable for the following year every December 25th.

Editor: Yan Fei