PRC

Half a Century of the People's Republic

October 1st, the day on which the Chinese celebrate the 50th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. And we are sitting at home watching it on TV rather than, as we would prefer, being on the parade route and seeing it live. We have been advised to stayhome all day and that is what we will do.

The parade and all its associated activities are reserved for VIP's, but we didn't know that two months ago when we were in France trying to decide where to go next — whether to go east in Europe and pass the winter in Greece or to go far east, and, starting in China, work our way south to Australia. We chose China because Gerry wanted very badly to see first hand how the anniversary of Mao Zedong's declaration of a new China would be celebrated and Jan had spent fourteen years regretting not having visited Beijing in 1985, so it came as a disappointment to learn how shut out we would be.

We aren't the only ones shut out. The vast masses in Beijing are being treated the same way. Streets are blocked off far from the parade route and reviewing stand. For example, yesterday in the late afternoon, as a light rain was falling we walked past the Great Hall of the People, just as ropes were being put up to keep people out. We were halfway past when we were told to get off the sidewalk and on to the street so that we would be outside the newly installed ropes. It didn't matter a bit that it was getting dark, the rain was getting heavier, and that we would have to share the street with traffic. Our destination was dinner at a fast food place, the Australian Kebab, located just south of Tien An Men Square, and it, along with the neighboring McDonald's, KFC, and every other shop within sight or hailing distance of Tien An Men had been closed by the police. We felt ourselves lucky that the subway station there was still open. We took it to the Jian Quo Men station, and after shopping, took a taxi the rest of the home and cooked for ourselves.

We got our first "hint" of how things worked just under three weeks ago, the night after we arrived, when there was a big practice of the parade. Upon hearing about the practice we immediately thought we'd go see it. But our hopes were dashed just a few moments later when the Chinese friend who had just told us about the practice then told us the streets would be blocked. And that's the way it was: That night, after eating and shopping just north of the center of town in Wang Fu Jing, Beijing's Fifth Avenue, whose southern end touches the parade route, Chang An Avenue, we had some difficulty getting home — we had to make rather long detours to cross Chang An and go south to our apartment. For practice, dress rehearsal, and final performance, Chang An and its environs was not open to the uninvited.

Going home on foot, our inexperience combined with parade-caused detours led us in a zigzag pattern, sometimes progressing and sometimes backtracking, down a combination of major streets and the narrowest of hutongs, alleys which are the remnants of old Beijing with houses built around courtyards that were often filled in over the years as families grew. During our walk we had plenty of opportunity to see crowds and crowds of local people straining their necks down blocked off streets trying to see something. All they and we could see were the masses of police keeping the approaches closed.

To the extent that we can judge, few locals expect anything more. Perhaps some wish they were permitted to attend, but they seem to us the exceptions. More typical is the shop girl we talked to yesterday. As do so many, she wanted to practice English and was happy to speak with us since we were the only people in the shop at the Drum Tower museum. She had come a year ago from Fujian in the south to join her husband in Beijing. There was no question in her mind who the parade was for: not her, as she would be at work, since the shop would be open, even on National Day.

Jiang Zemin

The festivities and TV coverage started at 10:00 a.m. this morning. Chinese President Jiang Zemin and his cabinet came out to the platform above and at the front of the famous gate, Tien An Men (Heavenly Peace Gate). This is the place from which Mao Zedong proclaimed the People's Republic and from which his successors would celebrate its 50th anniversary. They all stopped in a line and stood there for a moment, until an aide approached Jiang from the rear, took his elbow, and shoved him forward about two feet; all the others immediately followed. Sometime later all had advanced even farther forward and most were leaning on the rail in front watching the parade. But that didn't come until after Jiang had given a speech.

After a very brief introduction Jiang left the top of the gate and soon appeared standing in an open top car that came out through the central portal of Tien An Men, made a small loop, and headed east to Jian Guo Men, (Distant? Country Gate) a distance of about two miles, and the site until 1956 of a gate in the city walls. In the name of progress and better transportation the walls were torn down that year and the "Second Ring Road" built in their place. We have learned to say it in Chinese, Er Wan Lu, to taxi drivers, as it passes only a few hundred meters below our window.

When Jiang's car, and the following one, which obviously was occupied by a commanding general or chief of staff, reached Jian Guo Men they made another wide loop, turned around, and came back. Jiang stood all the way, with four microphones before him. Going both ways he reviewed the military units lined up along the north side of the road. As he went he alternately shouted "Tong shi men hao?" and "Tong shi men Xinghua" We had fun trying to figure out what he was saying. It finally clicked: "Tong shi men Hao" amounts to "Comrades are you in good shape?" The troops shouted back "Hao", i.e., "You bet". The second phrase we are less certain about: It probably means something like "Unity in the New China".

The route itself is lined with modern building after modern building, most of them hotels and shopping centers, and few are older than five years. We have gone along it many times now. For example one is the Henderson Center and we have shopped at its supermarket twice. Next door is Starbucks, an important find for Jan. A week ago Friday our new friend here, Huang Zhi Rong, took us for an evening bus ride to see the lights and decorations along the route. The crowds were such that it took more than an hour in the bus to do these two miles.

Tuesday we walked the route, in spite of Gerry's sore ankle, from Tien An Men to Jiang Guo Men just to see things at an even more leisurely pace. We noticed once again a series of complete and incomplete tents or pavilions spaced somewhat uniformly along the route and wondered what they were. It was only last night when they were really complete, that we realized they were stoop or trough toilets. They do have "porta loos" here but maybe that's not what the military are used to using.

Our TV

In our apartment we get fifteen channels on TV: In Chinese we have Capital City TV (CCTV-1, CCTV-2, CCTV-5), Beijing TV (BTV-1, BTV-2, TV-3) and Phoenix TV; all seven stations are showing the parade using exactly the same TV feed. There is an eighth Chinese channel, a copycat of MTV, and they are showing music videos. In addition we get in English CNN, HBO, two Star TVs (originating in Hong Kong ), and two AXN (Singapore and Thailand) Action TV channels. CNN is giving complete, or nearly complete coverage. The last of our fifteen channels is a Japanese channel, which is mostly covering a nuclear accident that took place Thursday night in Japan.

The Speech

When Jiang's car returned to Tien An Men it made another loop and disappeared into and behind the gate. Soon thereafter Jiang returned to the reviewing stand and gave his discourse. We were torn between wanting to hear Jiang Zemin in his own voice (and practice our Chinese comprehension, which is minimal) and understand what he was saying. Comprehension won out and we switched from Chinese TV to CNN.

The speech was short, perhaps ten minutes, and not too dramatic in our eyes, at least as we heard it in translation. The words in English were certainly carefully chosen. In Chinese it may have had an altogether different effect on his audience. It certainly wasn't rabble rousing. Noteworthy that he used the phrase "peaceful reunification" in reference to Taiwan, rather than the sometimes heard "force if necessary." In paying tribute he finessed the issue of how to treat the revolution/civil war and cultural revolution by including them in a long, undifferentiated list that included thanks to Deng Xiaoping for his "socialism with Chinese Characteristics" (i.e., a market economy), and to foreign friends and advisors. The delivery of the speech was noteworthy too. Often, especially toward the end, Jiang would shout. In English, important phrases can be singled out using stress and intonation (the rise and fall of the voice). In Chinese, that is not possible as the rise and fall of the voice differentiates one word from another. It seems to us, that Jiang Zemin's shouting was his only avenue to emphasize important phrases (and to cue his audience to applaud?).

The Parade

Immediately after his speech was the military parade. The overall aspect strongly reminded us of what we had seen in Paris on July 14 this year: unit after unit, each in a different uniform, marching sharply. The French do it every year; this was the first time in fifteen years that the Chinese would do it. It would seem that no branch or sub-branch or sub-sub-branch can be left out. If they are left out, only a specialist would know. In both countries the organization seemed to be the same: the various units lined up before the parade on the avenue and awaited their turn to fall in and march past the reviewing stand.

The big difference between France and China is the style of marching. In Paris it was crisp, but not precise. Here every arm and fist moved in time to music. Every person marching was chosen for, among other reasons, his or her conforming height and ability to keep in step. In France the various units were relaxed and at ease until just before they set off marching. Here, as we could see as Jiang drove by, they were all in perfect formations, perfect squares of men (and sometimes women), perfectly aligned. In both countries as the troops passed the reviewing stand, they presented arms and turned their faces toward the stand. In China, however, in addition, the troops changed from a normal march to a goose-step, but not a German one. Uniquely Chinese, as far as we know, the legs no longer bend at the knee and one arm crosses the chest to the beat rather than swinging forward. A final difference for us, of course, was that in France we were on the Champs Elysees and saw the units forming up and consequently only saw the units that formed to our west. Here we watched on TV and while not seeing the preparations did see the whole parade.

The Flyover

In Paris, the end of the military parade was marked by aircraft flying over and so it was here. After a few units had flown over we realized that they should be visible from our sliding French window. So we rushed over, opened it, and looked north. The parade route is just over a mile north of our apartment and from the window we can see the buildings just east of Jiang Guo Men. We heard a roar and soon saw a flight of five fighters. And then another. And then large transports. Over the next five minutes (all that it lasted) we must have seen about twenty groups of planes. As it happened they would become visible to the TV cameras just about when we saw them. From our spot in the window we could simultaneously see the planes directly and on TV. The fly overs ended with the helicopters. They weren't the last to appear in the sky, but as they are so comparatively slow they were the last to appear on TV and pass the reviewing stand. 

More Parade - And Afterwards

Jiang led a big round of applause and cheers for the military and then the civilian parade began. Speech, review, and military parade had lasted just an hour. Good timing. Nobody would have gotten bored, except perhaps those among the twenty or thirty thousand who were standing in Tien An Men square holding up colored pompoms and making a good fore/back drop for various TV shots. They could see nothing except the backs of their neighbors' heads. They didn't have a TV like we did and still had an hour plus to stand there. Perhaps some had hidden radios or CD players?

For two weeks the most important floats that were to appear in the parade have been stored at the south end of Tien An Men square, between the Mao Zedong mausoleum and Qian Men (Qian Gate). We pass by there every third day or so, for example when we visited the mausoleum and when we took the bus to the Badaling Great Wall from the station across the street, so we have had plenty of chance to see them. Other floats have been stored at scattered sites across the city: When we went to Huang Zhi Rong's home a few miles south of here, we found more floats stored in a sports ground at the bus stop. When we tried to visit the main stadium in Beijing, we found it closed — to store floats.

When the civilian parade started we were already familiar with the floats that lead it. We were surprised and impressed by the human and electronic effects that went with it. A giant plasma screen was on one, portraying what seemed to be a high speed history of China. The dancers, marchers, etc. with each float put to shame those we've recently seen in such local parades in New York City as the Spanish churches parade and the Israeli parade. Even the Macy's Thanksgiving parade was decontracte (very relaxed and informal) by comparison.

False Sunset

After two hours and eleven minutes of festivities it is over. It seems so short, or at least it must seem so to those who practiced for weeks and weeks. It's rather like cooking a meal: one can cut and chop and boil and bake for hours, and then sit down and consume it in just a few minutes.

But wait: it's not over. Like an old time melodrama or modern thriller with twist after twist, there is still more to see: It seems that every major motion picture these days is released accompanied by a "how we made it" documentary. That's what we have on TV now: how the military practiced for the parade. There's lot of coverage of troops lined up and marching in formation. They seem to be using an airfield runway. Make a little mistake? Correct it and do it again. It's just like choir practice; everybody does learn to come in on the beat.

Day Becomes Night

Night has now fallen. We are reading when we hear some noise and realize it's the fireworks that we were told to expect. In the late afternoon we had considered going out and trying to reach Tien An Men, or maybe just the considerably closer Jiang Quo Men, which is less than a half-hour walk, but we decided that we'd get a better view from our apartment roof. Laziness and following the advice to stay in had little to do with it.

So we rush to put on our shoes, throw on a coat, and — we're not kidding you — rush up four flights of stairs. To our disappointment the door to the roof is closed. Fortunately there is a window on the west side and we stay there to watch the fireworks. Although they are more than two miles away they are pretty impressive. It must be great to be in or near Tien An Men to see them. While we are watching somebody Chinese comes along and opens the rooftop door. Out go a few Chinese. When we try to follow we're told by signs that its not for us. That's China today.

An hour later we are back in the apartment when we hear another round of fireworks; This time just Gerry goes up. He's again watching from the window when a Chinese fellow comes along and indicates that he should, from another window, climb out on the roof. Gerry willingly follows. What is this lao shi (old teacher, the name for foreigners here) doing at his advanced age climbing through windows?

From the roof top much more can been seen. Not only are there bombs bursting in air over Tien An Men they are also coming from Tian Tan park in the southwest, Long Tan park in the south, and Ri Tan Park in the north. By standing in the right spot on the roof all four can been seen at once. This second round is bigger and better than the first. Sometimes a half dozen aerial bombs go off simultaneously over the ¾ kilometer extent of Tian An Men. They are usually pink spherical puffs and it has a cotton candy effect to it. Too bad we're not closer!

Our Locals Crowd the Streets

We aren't the only "locals" watching. The Second Ring Road is just to east of the Warwick International apartments, our residence. On it and just to our north there is a major cross road; their intersection gives its name to our neighborhood, Guang Qu Men Qiao (Broad Stream Gate Bridge). A large crowd has gather at each end of the bridge; perhaps 10,000 on each side. Because of the road they have a good view toward the sky above Tien An Men. Every time there is a major burst, a roar comes up from the crowd, easily heard by Jan through the closed window and by Gerry on the roof. The two of us are used to seeing a major fireworks show every July 4th in Red Bank and we are impressed here; for them it must be all the more impressive as fireworks are not an annual event here.

After twenty minutes, which is a lot of fireworks, the show ends. Very quickly the crowds around Guang Qu Men start to return home. Gerry has an excellent view of this as they disperse to the nearby hutongs, some of which are just behind the walls of the Warwick compound.

Another Day

Its Saturday morning and we are watching the Chinese news while we eat breakfast. We get to see what we missed: On Friday night there was an enormous party, a gala, in Tien An Men. The guests were on the periphery while elaborate entertainment was presented - dancers, jugglers, singer, everything. The fireworks for these guests came as punctuation points in the entertainment. At times the smoke from the explosives passes through the party in very visible clouds.

Our disappointment at not getting to see the parade is not as complete as we've indicated. By being here, we at least saw the street closures, the floats up close, experienced the reactions of people, and saw some great fireworks — without being submitted to their smoke.

Sunday Display

It is the Sunday and we are staying in all day, planning to go out in the evening for our first taste of Peking Opera. It is an entirely other story about how we communicated and miss-communicated over getting the tickets. Xieming has just called. His wife writes for the Beijing Evening News, doing feature articles twice a week. Would be like/be willing to be interviewed about our reactions to the parade? Its flattering and will be interesting. Because we feel a little embarrassed about the attention that will be given to us we are tempted to say no. But as this diary of the National Day indicates, we aren't without observations and opinions. So we say we'll have a go of it. Its agreed the Xieming will act as a translator, his wife will do the interviewing, and a photographer will accompany them. We have until 2 p.m. to get our act together — shower, dress, eat lunch, and clean up the place.