Hong Kong movie star Jackie Chan on Monday joined students who survived last year's disastrous earthquake in southwest China's Sichuan Province, singing with them to help boost morale among the teenagers on the eve of the quake's anniversary.

The 55-year-old star, best-known for his martial arts films, came to Beichuan Middle School, one of the worst-hit schools in the quake, to sing a song titled "Nation" with students there.

The song was dedicated to the 60th anniversary of the founding of new China.

Chan and his team have been promoting the song since a music video of it was finished in April.

Chan unfurled a national flag covering 5,000 square meters on the school playground. His shouts of "Go! Beichuan" "Go! China" were echoed by about 1,000 students.

"I really feel the strength of our nation after the quake. The song gives me a better understanding of the relationship between the nation and a family," said Jing Shengxi, a student of the school.

"We would not have such bright smiles today without a strong nation," said schoolmaster Liu Yachun. "I hope every student can make best use of time, remember the love, make a better self and help build a strong nation."

More than 1,000 students and teachers of the school were dead or missing in the quake on May 12 last year.

The new school, mostly funded by donations from Chinese all over the world, will begin reconstruction Tuesday.

The 8.0-magnitude quake left more than 87,000 people dead or missing in all.