A student of Tiecheng Primary School in West District was getting her photo taken in front of a national flag display board on September 2. [Photo by Wen Bo]

Zhongshan's colleges and universities, primary and secondary schools, as well as kindergartens usher in fall semester on September 2. Many schools held opening ceremonies featuring the Five-Starred Red Flag (the national flag of the People's Republic of China), giving students the "first lesson" themed with patriotism.

In the morning, more than 5,000 freshmen of UESTC, Zhongshan Institute officially started their new term. Xu Jianhua, President of Zhongshan Institute, gave the freshmen the "first lesson" on the theme of "Being an adult and a useful person" in the campus gymnasium. With the admission of new students, the second experimental building of the university will be put into use, mainly for the experimental teaching of the College of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering.

On the morning of September 2, the "first lesson" of Zhongshan No. 1 Middle School began with the keynote speech by Principal Wang Xiwen on "Patriotism: Start with Being the Best Self." At the opening ceremony, Wang Xiwen encouraged students to be indomitable, to be confident, and to be the best they can be.

On the same day, Xiaolan Middle School (Zhongshan Foreign Language School) also held the opening ceremony and educational activity theme with "I Raise the National Flag for the Motherland". A total of 4,000 teachers and students sang the national anthem in front of the national flag and pledged their loyalty to the motherland. In the 2019 academic year, Xiaolan Middle School welcomed 12 new teachers and 1,320 new students, including foreign students from Germany and Japan.

On the morning of September 2, over 1,700 students of Tiecheng Primary School in West District, Zhongshan, began their new term. "The first day of the new term begins with patriotic education. We put a sticker of national flag on every student's chest so that they can keep their motherland in mind," said Zhang Wenjun, Vice Principal of Tiecheng Primary School.

In addition to the flag-raising ceremony, Central Primary School of Xiqu District also taught students about the administrative territory of China in the first lesson.

Maling Primary School in South District is a new public primary school established this year. On September 2, the school welcomed more than 150 students. The first lesson for the children was the patriotic education about the Five-Starred Red Flag.