Anniversaries of the Past

After a day of watching the Communist Party parade its phallic symbols across our television screens for hours on end (no, I didn't watch it all. I did catch the female militia in their miniskirts and boots, though. Purely accidentally, of course), I thought I'd do a bit of time travelling to see where it all came from. 

So, here is Mao on October 1st declaring the Peoples' Republic  from the gate of the Forbidden City in Tian'anmen Square, October 1st 1949.

By the way, despite having huge genitalia military might, the Party are utterly terrified of a website which mainly carries pop videos and so, have blocked Youtube. Here is an alternative, lower definition alternative. Alternative Video.

Skip on ten years and we have Mao celebrating national day during the Great Leap Forward. Not many saw this as they were rather busy starving to death. Millions died.

Alternative Video

Another 10 years takes us to 1969 and the cultural revolution. In this first 1969 video, we can see Zhou Enlai wondering what to do with the raving lunatic who started all this off.

 Alternative Video

In a second clip from 1969, the PLA practice what they seem quite good at. Here they are waving guns around and shouting "Sha! Sha! Sha!" or  "Kill! Kill! Kill!"

Alternative Video

Finally, we have China in the early days of its opening up process.  Mao is gone but not forgotten. Deng Xiao Ping is in charge (but never officially). Five years later, the tanks rolled in Tian'anmen again.

Alternative Video

There is an excellent movie of the 1999 celebrations here (found via Danwei)

tags: china  national day  mao  deng xiao ping  zhou enlai  tiananmen  

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