The Chinese authorities have banned the flying of kites, drones, pigeons, and balloons in Beijing ahead of the 70th-anniversary celebration of Communist Party rule on October 1. The skies will be kept clear in order to assure flight safety in 16 districts throughout the day. The citizens are not even allowed to send sky lanterns. Factories too have been ordered to close to ensure a backdrop of clean air and blue skies on the holiday. There have been nighttime military parade rehearsals in various parts and also through Tiananmen Square because of which the City Centre and huge avenues have been on lockdown in the recent weekends. The square itself and some selected subway stations also remained closed to the general public. For further peace, earlier this month, some bars and nightclubs were also ordered to be closed to avoid any brawls around the big day. 

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The celebration

On the day of the anniversary, there will be military parades and party leader Xi Jinping will address the public. Fireworks show, performances, and carnival-like celebration will be part of a mass pageantry involving 100,000 people. The invitees include selected 30,000 people, including outstanding Party members, model civil servants, and workers. This year's celebration is expected to be the biggest-ever – even larger than one in 2015 that commemorated the end of World War II when 12,000 soldiers marched. 

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The National Day of China

On October 1, 1949, Communist forces took power after defeating Chiang Kai-shek’s Nationalist army in a brutal civil war. The date marks the founding of the People’s Republic of China and is celebrated throughout mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macau with a variety of government-organised festivities, including fireworks and concerts, as well as sports events and cultural events. The capital city is decorated in festive mood with portraits of revered leaders, such as Mao Zedong in public display.

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On the other side

Many Elite Chinese officials are facing challenges this year as the US-China trade war has slowed the economy. The anti-government protests in Hong Kong have further deteroriated the scenario. As a result, sensitive political dates have a lot of threats surrounding them. Yet as the Chinese authorities clamp down on every possible opposition, human rights activists often dissapear around such mass celebrations.

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