The first lessons for Chinese students in their new semester were patriotism and flu prevention as the nation geared up for celebrations of the 60th anniversary of the founding of New China and a fight against the growing risk of an A/H1N1 flu epidemic.

A Chinese primary school teacher explains to her students about information of the Chinese national flag at a ceremony marking the first day of the new semester in the city of Hanshan in east China's Anhui Province, Sep. 1, 2009. School students across China started Tuesday their new semester. [Xinhua]

A star-studded gala program, "The First Class", which had as its theme "I Love you, China", was aired nationwide Tuesday by state-run China Central Television from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

The country's 220 million elementary and middle school students were among viewers in a response to a call made by the Ministry of Education last week.

Education Minister Zhou Ji, film star Jet Li, Olympic gold medal winner Deng Yaping, soprano Peng Liyuan, China's first astronaut Yang Liwei, and singing sensation "Super Girl" Li Yuchun, all presented lessons to the students.

Jet Li told students how powerful love could be: "As long as each of us contribute a bit, there is no difficulty that can't be overcome."

Students at Beijing's Erligou Center Primary School queued in front of the school gate to have their temperatures taken during the morning.

Students of Beijing No. 2 Experiment Primary School queue for temprerature check at the school gate in Beijing, China, on Sep. 1, 2009. [Xinhua]

Beijing's education authority has asked all teachers and students to take their temperatures before entering school grounds. Entry would be refused if the temperature is above 37.5 degrees Celsius.

Students should also submit records of their daily temperatures, as well as their whereabouts and health conditions.

Zeng Guang, a scientist at the Chinese Center For Disease Control and Prevention, said with an increasing number of A/H1N1 flu cases and the coexistence of the risk of seasonal flu, back-to-school time was a big challenge.

"Schools must adopt quicker and stricter measures to contain the virus in its budding stage," he said.

Recent cases of group infection highlight the rising risk of an A/H1N1 flu pandemic in China.

On Sunday, a senior high school in central China's Henan Province reported 80 confirmed cases of the flu. On the same day, a junior high school in northwestern Gansu Province reported 26 cases.

(Xinhua News Agency September 1, 2009)