16 negotiations for 2 seconds! That night 25 years ago...

2 seconds, 23 seconds, 12 seconds

There is a story behind every number

July 1, 1997 00:00:00

National Anthem of the People's Republic of China

Playing on time, not a second off

The five-star red flag was raised on time

For this moment

We have made great efforts

…

25 years ago

Hong Kong handover ceremony

Behind the race against time

What exactly are we fighting over with the British?

Through intelligent repair technology

Recreate the moment with 4K quality

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Video source: CCTV Military

2 seconds, no compromise

What we are fighting for is more than 150 years of honor and disgrace

On the night of June 30, 1997

Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre is brightly lit

The Hong Kong handover ceremony attracted worldwide attention

Held here

Everyone is waiting for the moment when the five-star red flag is raised

Prior to this, the Chinese handover ceremony preparation team

Fight for 2 seconds

16 rounds of negotiations have been held with the UK

The handover ceremony of Hong Kong government

The flag-raising ceremony commander-in-chief Cheng Zhiqiang recalled

"At that time, the British side said that their national anthem

We will play until the last second on June 30th

China requested to end the battle 2 to 3 seconds earlier

Because the Chinese band conductor's hand movement

It takes 2 to 3 seconds

The British side disagreed

Chinese personnel believe that these few seconds are a matter of honor and disgrace.

We have endured 150 years of shame.

We must not compromise on this point.

It must be at 0:0:0

Play the national anthem and raise the national flag"

23 seconds, 12 seconds

What we are fighting for is the attitude of not missing a second

Hong Kong handover ceremony

The British spokesperson's speech exceeded the time limit by 23 seconds

In order to ensure that the five-star red flag is raised on time

China immediately activated the emergency plan

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Regained time

During the ceremony, the Royal Military Band

The British national anthem was played 12 seconds early

As a result, the Chinese national anthem did not play immediately.

then

The Chinese flag-raiser Zhu Tao remained motionless

Because it's 1 second behind the national anthem

The flag will be 12.3 cm short when it is raised

There is a risk of not being able to reach the top

They have to be foolproof

Zhu Tao Memories

“All the cameras were pointed at me.

I can't look around, I can only wait there

That's my life

The longest and most tense 12 seconds"

Calm down, you have to withstand the pressure

As the Chinese national anthem played

Zhu Tao gathered his strength for 12 seconds and finally exerted his strength.

July 1, 1997 00:00:46

The five-star red flag was raised to the top of the flagpole as planned

The last note of the national anthem ends at the same time

This moment

Hong Kong, after going through many vicissitudes, returns to the embrace of the motherland in triumph

Washed away the century-old shame of the Chinese nation

For this second

Zhu Tao and his comrades trained hard for several months

He practiced raising the flag over 5,000 times

From entering the venue to climbing the stairs to raising the national flag

Every movement has become "muscle memory"

The flagpole is 8.28 meters high

The space for the national flag to be raised is 5.68 meters

It takes 8 pulls on the flag rope...

He still remembers this set of numbers.

At that time, the Chinese and British guards of honor conducted joint training.

The British side hopes that the Chinese guard of honor

According to the British action rhythm

But the Chinese guard of honor was firm

We must stick to the Chinese soldiers’ own rhythm

The then captain of the three-service guard of honor

He once led the honor guard to receive the Central Military Commission

Cheng Zhiqiang, who was awarded the honorary title of "Military Model", said

"More than 150 years later

If we still imitate (the British side)

Isn't your dignity lost?"

The Hong Kong handover ceremony in 1997

Chinese soldiers marched into the venue in Chinese style

The steps are mighty and the military posture is upright

See the story behind the flag-raiser↓↓

Video source: CCTV Military

Today (July 1) at 8 am,

Hong Kong SAR Government

A flag-raising ceremony was held at Golden Bauhinia Square.

Celebrating the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland.

Bless Hong Kong,

Bless the motherland!

Source: Science Popularization China WeChat Official Account