The 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China was marked in Kunming by the observation of the eight day national holiday, and by the sales that were advertised outside the shopping malls and clothing shops; marked also by the red and yellow flags - on which the number 60 had been boldly printed - hung outside KFCs and McDonalds, outside Prada and Rolex, Louis Vuitton and Versace; the anniversary was marked by a big television screen in the central shopping area: a live feed from Beijing; 250,000 people standing in a square; a parade of tanks, missiles, uniforms, 2000 miles away.
In Kunming people stopped to watch a perfect terrifying order; their bags standing around them, or in their hands, they watched - row after row of military might, of social order, a homogeny enforced: then they carried on shopping - to celebrate 60 years of Communist reign in China.
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