With the five-star national flags festooning Beijing's main artery Chang'an Avenue and the Great Hall of the People and other buildings around Tian'anmen Square ablaze with lights, the capital city is dressed up for the 16th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), which starts here on Nov. 8.
The city has been decorated since Friday the same as on major holidays such as the Spring Festival and the National Day. Chinesedecorative knots, red lanterns and flowers are displayed in the city's Wangfujing and Xi'dan downtown areas as well as along the ring roads.
A theater on Chang'an Avenue will present 16 specially selected China-made movies in November to mark the CPC event. A special book promotion will also be held in the city's largest book retail center to celebrate the opening of the Party Congress.
Party flags have become one of the hottest-selling items recently, local sources say.
(Xinhua News Agency November 4, 2002)
