The History Of The People’s Republic Of China – Through 70 Years Of Mass Parades

Xun Zhou, University of Essex

Traditionally in China, 70 is an auspicious number.

A person who reaches 70 is considered “rare and precious” (guxi 古稀) and the 70th birthday is worth a big celebration.

To mark its own 70th anniversary on October 1, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) will hold a mass parade in Tiananmen Square in Beijing.

For the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) – which has ruled such a vast country for 70 years and turned what was once viewed as the “sick man of Asia” into a major world power and the world’s second-biggest economy – this is a rare and precious occasion worth celebrating in a grandiose way.

The history of parades to mark China’s National Day can help to track the changing concerns and priorities of the country’s leadership over the past 70 years.