People gather at the Tiananmen Square in Beijing, capital of China, to mark the 55th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China Oct. 1, 2004. (Xinhua Photo)

    BEIJING, Oct. 1 (Xinhuanet) -- Across the country, Chinese from all walks of life celebrated the 55th anniversary of founding of the People's Republic of China Friday.

    In Burang County, Ngari Prefecture of southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, the armed border police at Shalwa Post held a solemn flag-raising ceremony right the foot of a snow-clad mountain early Friday.

Tourists visit a scenic spot in Guilin, a city in southwest China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Oct. 1, 2004, the 55th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. (Xinhua Photo)

    Shalwa Post lies deep in the Himalayas and is cut off from the rest of the world by snow in winter. It is an important outlet for Sino-Nepalese border trade, and some 10,000 people enter Chinese territory via the post each year.

    Mi Jianjun, who graduated recently from military college, said,"We will let the five-star red flag flutter high in the sky here always."

    In Kunming, capital of Yunnan Province and sometimes called "city of spring," residents showed their love for the motherland inhoisting the national flag at their homes or offices.

A tourist (C) poses with two girls of the Dai Nationality in southwest China's Yunnan Province, Oct. 1, 2004, the 55th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. (Xinhua Photo)

    In downtown Kunming, a flag raising ceremony at the Dongfeng Plaza was attended by government officials and ordinary people. LiKun, a resident of the city, told reporters he felt proud of the motherland whenever he saw the red national flag.

    In the national capital of Beijing, popular exhibitions showcasing achievements China has made since the PRC was founded 55 years ago, and especially after the reform and opening-up drive began in 1978, are being held in public places such as Zhongshan Park and Laborers' Cultural Palace.

    Residents in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality swarmed to a picture display with over 300 items illustrating the changes taking place in this mountainous city, the most important industrial city on the upper reaches of the Yangtze River.

A girl waves to the crowd during the National Day parade in Guiyang, capital of southwest China's Guizhou Province, Oct. 1. (Xinhua Photo)

    In Xi'an, capital of northwest China's Shaanxi Province, where the world famous terra-cotta warriors and horses of the First Emperor of the Qin Dynasty (211BC-207BC) are located, 550 photos focusing on people from different walks of life and achievements in construction are on display.

    To celebrate the National Day, Zhang Pinggui, a fruit grower from Baishui County, took his family with him to the suburbs in southern Xia'an. Thanks to favorable policies from the central government, there is a fruit harvest in Shaanxi Province this year,said Zhang.

    "We are prosperous now, but we farmers cannot forget the benevolence of the Party and the government," said Zhang.

    The sudden drop in temperatures Friday did not dampen the enthusiasm of residents in north China's Inner Mongolia AutonomousRegion in celebrating the National Day. In Hohhot, the regional capital, people took to the streets, and parks teemed with singingand dancingvisitors.

    The regional China Communist Youth League prepared a scroll 100meters long for visitors to draw pictures on and express their love for the motherland.

    This year's National Day celebration activities in Changsha, capital of central China's Hunan Province, were characterized by environmental protection and frugality. A huge national flag made of 29,000 tops of soda cans was erected in the middle of the square east of He Long Stadium of Changsha. The can tops were collected by residents of the city for half a year.

    A participant surnamed Liu said, "The fatherland is growing prosperous day by day, but we should not forget the glorious tradition of being frugal and valuing environmental protection so that our father will always prosperous and strong, and our youngergenerations will have a happy future."

    The temperature in north China's Tianjin fell by 10 degrees Celsius on Friday, yet many urban residents of Tianjin stuck to their original plans of traveling to famous tourist destinations outside Tianjin or going to the suburbs to relax there.

    Many people, however, have to work during the holiday. More than 200 workers on Friday braved the cold morning breeze to continue construction of the Qinghai-Tibet railway bridge spanningthe Lhasa River in the suburbs of Lhasa, the capital of Tibet Autonomous Region.

    Sources from the Lhasa Headquarters for Construction of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway said 17,000 workers would have to work during the National Day Holiday. Enditem