“But we decided we cannot be too commercialised, and stuck to our original goal.”
“We don’t force ourselves to film (for the sake of content),” he added. “By sharing our activities on social media, we want to let more people know what we’re doing.”
Other former national flag bearers have also taken to social media to share their personal accounts and experiences, which include 2am wake-up calls and gruelling training drills, such as standing, marching and holding guns for extended periods in harsh weather conditions.
Zhang Zixuan, 31, is a former Tiananmen Square flag bearer who runs a popular Douyin account with over 883,000 followers.
While Zhang also shares content like cooking videos and updates about daily life working on his family’s farm, videos about his military past prove most popular with his online following.
In one video, Zhang spoke about his military career, during which he participated in more than 7,700 flag-raising ceremonies. Curious netizens left comments asking why he had left the military.
“What a pity” and “Are you sure this will not affect your career progression?” were some of the comments he highlighted. However, Zhang responded that there was “nothing to feel pity about”.
“I was raised by farming folk, and I’m doing something that I’m passionate about,” Zhang said.
“I’m just an ordinary veteran, I have my own dreams and places I want to go to.”
Although he is officially retired from the military, the flag bearer-turned-influencer continues to promote ‘patriotic education’ through some of his content. In one video, which garnered nearly 25,000 engagements, he visited a museum and discussed China’s intervention in the Korean War in 1950.
WHAT IT TAKES TO BE A FLAG BEARER
Growing up in Jiangxi, Zeng never considered enlisting in the army until he watched a popular TV variety show featuring celebrities in military service. Inspired, he enlisted in 2015 at the age of 17 and went on to become a flag bearer at Tiananmen Square, a prestigious position under the PLA’s honour guard.
Throughout his five-year military stint, Zeng completed nearly 3,000 flag-raising duties. He also underwent 10 months of rehearsals and training to march in the 2019 China National Day Parade.
“I felt so much pride,” Zeng said. “I knew I was not just representing myself … I’m proud to be part of the PLA, to be able to represent the country and to have been part of that parade.”
For those wishing to follow in his footsteps and join the honour guard, Zeng has some advice. The “process is very selective” and there are extremely strict physical requirements that must be met.
