For the past 18 years, a 68-year-old man from Fenggang County, southwestern China's Guizhou province has demonstrated his love for China in a special way. He has raised a national flag every day for the last 6,500 days.

Each day at 7:30 a.m., the man, named Tian Maokun, plays the national anthem on his mobile phone and raises the national flag in his yard. This has been Tian's daily routine for 18 years.

Tian lost his job in the wake of organizational reforms, but he has received a pension from the local government ever since. His monthly income reached 1,930 yuan ($289) in 2012, and the pension keeps rising every year. Thankful for the government's support, Tian decided to raise the national flag to express his gratitude toward the country. Tian started his routine in 1998, and has kept at it since that time. Whenever Tian is away from home, his wife, Wan Youxiang, raises the flag for him.

Some of Tian's fellow villagers doubted at first that he would carry on, but Tian's dedication has changed all their minds. Some noted that the informal flag-raising ceremony is a good way to show respect for the improved quality of life in China's rural areas.