Watch as President Hu Jintao passes rows and rows of Chinese troops of equal height. The pan-in across Tiananmen Square at the start is particularly spectacular:
What you’re not seeing is protest. And with good reason. Chinese authorities moved petitioners back to their home towns ahead of the celebrations:
Still, who couldn’t warm to the unbeatable thrill of soldier formations:
Or rainbow-spewing aircrafts also in formation (All the pilots are female. Women hold up half the sky didn’t you know):
Here’s what the celebrations looked like for the 50th anniversary (spot the difference):
Footage of the rehearsals shows tanks rolling through the streets, always a disconcerting sight near Tiananmen Square:
Meet Mao — the man who was there 60 years ago to witness the original revolution — and watch the daily re-enactment for the tourists of Communist forces battling the Kuomintang:
The trailer for Mao’s Last Dancer:
