SAR puts nation first in teens' hearts

In the early morning of Dec 9, more than 200 students at Macao's Pui Ching Middle School gathered on the school's playground. They stood solemnly and silently in their school uniforms with their collective gaze trained on the national flag and the Macao Special Administrative Region flag being raised before them.

For many students on the Chinese mainland, attending such flag-raising ceremonies is a familiar activity. Yet for most of the participants at Pui Ching that day, it was a new experience.

Responding to requirements by the Macao SAR government, the school has been holding such ceremonies every Monday since September. Previously, only high school students were required to take part in such activities.

Feng Ka-seong, a 13-year-old student at the school, is satisfied with the arrangement, especially given the sense of accomplishment she derives from her newfound role as a flag-bearer in the ceremony.

"I was often quite nervous during the ceremonies for fear of possibly making mistakes that might affect others' experience. Yet every time I raise the flags, especially at the moment when I spread them out in the air, I feel so proud to be Chinese and my sense of belonging to the nation is greatly boosted," Feng said.

According to regulations regarding the use of national and SAR flags and emblems, which took effect on June 1, all Macao primary and secondary schools should hold a ceremony raising the national and SAR flags at least once a week.

Pui Ching Principal Kou Kam-fai said that after the school heeded the call this term, students, parents and staff quickly got used to the new arrangement. And passersby, not participating in the activity, often stop to watch.