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Li Ping had planned a fun trip to the United States for her daughter Tian Ziyun. She was to attend a summer camp and fulfill her dream of going to Disneyland in Los Angeles. Everything was ready - the visa, the tour plans and the flight tickets.

But just before their departure came the news that the youngster had been selected to take part in the 60th National Day celebration on October 1.

The decision to cancel the trip didn't take long. "My daughter can go to the US anytime she wants but taking part in the 60th National Day celebration is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," explains Li, Tian’s mother.

Her daughter, a 13-year-old junior high school student from the Branch School of Beijing No 5 Middle School, is one of 80,000 children who will be at Tian'anmen Square. They will be flipping boards and waving flowers on cue to form pictures and Chinese characters in the grand National Day gala.

The teenager's summer vacation plans in the US were replaced by three months of training for the big day. From 7 am to 10 am every day, Tian and her schoolmates gathered at school and practiced. Sometimes they would spend the three hours practicing just one simple but tiresome movement, like waving flowers for exactly nine minutes and two seconds.

Tian and her schoolmates, who belong to the post-'90s generation, dubbed China's "self-centered generation", may still have only a vague idea of patriotism and national pride. But the idea of taking part in the historic parade that features more than 200,000 people is enough to excite them.

"The training occurred during the hottest time of the year but the kids were very hard-working. They become serious and solemn when they talk about their performance," says Yang Chunlin, principal of the Branch School of Beijing No 5 Middle School. The school has about 1,000 students taking part in the celebrations.

Tian, who was at first a little disappointed over not being able to go to the US, cherishes the rare opportunity.

"I felt thrilled every time I heard our teacher say 'we have training after class'. It's hard for me to describe (the feeling)," says Tian.

Participants of the National Day celebration have finished four rounds of rehearsals at Tian'anmen Square and are now giving everything the final touches.

Li says she is looking forward to seeing her daughter's performance. "I believe it will be a unique experience for her," says Li, who participated in the 35th National Day parade as a high school student in 1984.

While today's school children may share the same enthusiasm for the parade as earlier generations, some things have changed, keeping pace with the nation's rapid growth in the recent past.

After the rehearsals around 4 am, Tian and her classmates are picked up by parents driving Volkswagens and Toyotas and are taken to 24-hour McDonalds outlets to grab a bite.

"But back in 1984 we all walked home after the rehearsal," says Li. "We looked more revolutionary. Our clothes and the flowers were less fancy than theirs."

Li and her family live near Jingshan Park, which is only a few blocks away from Tian'anmen Square. She says preparations for the parade have not affected them much, except for some roads being blocked for the rehearsals.

（英语点津 Helen 编辑）

About the broadcaster:

Nancy Matos is a foreign expert at China Daily Website. Born and raised in Vancouver, Canada, Nancy is a graduate of the Broadcast Journalism and Media program at the British Columbia Institute of Technology. Her journalism career in broadcast and print has taken her around the world from New York to Portugal and now Beijing. Nancy is happy to make the move to China and join the China Daily team.