State-of-the-art effects give show a Hollywood touch
The morning's military parade may have been a visit from the ghost of propaganda past, but last night was all about futuristic razzmatazz that looked as if it came straight out of Hollywood.
A massive pyrotechnics display coupled with state-of-the-art lighting effects and an immense cast of performers produced a show intended to eclipse last year's world-stopping Olympics opening ceremony.
But the sophisticated stage-management went beyond technical excellence; the show was a carefully crafted message piece aimed to promote ethnic and political unity.
In a highly symbolic move, all nine members of the Politburo Standing Committee - along with several former leaders, including former president Jiang Zemin - descended from their viewing platform close to the finale to sway hand-in-hand with performers in a massive circling dance number.
President Hu Jintao, Premier Wen Jiabao and others were flanked by young performers dressed in the traditional dress of ethnic minorities - highly significant given the recent racial clashes in Tibet and Xinjiang .
More than double the number of fireworks were used in last night's show than last year's Olympics opener, including three spectacular airborne 'paintings' measuring 90 metres by 25 metres. State media said it was the world's biggest fireworks display.
Beneath the colourful ordnance, more than 4,000 hi-tech 'trees' fitted with light-emitting diodes sparkled into 800 giant computer-controlled images, effectively turning part of the iconic square into a massive screen.
All this was just the backdrop for a 100-minute show, directed by Zhang Yimou , featuring a dazzling array of songs, mass dance numbers and martial arts displays.
More than 60,000 people were involved in the show, which took place over four acts and 12 separate stages set around Tiananmen Square, plus Changan Avenue.
On a central 'light cube' stage, top celebrities from the mainland, Taiwan and Hong Kong vied for a spot in the limelight.
Artists Lu Wei and Li Danyang were the first to take to the stage, followed by an impressive who's who of local showbiz.
The final slot was given to Jackie Chan - sporting a new moustache and goatee - and Liu Yuanyuan , before giving way to the climax of fireworks.
Earlier in the day, the civilian parade demonstrated the technological and policy changes on the mainland since the last National Day parade in 1999. Only 60 floats took part in the civilian parade, 31 fewer than a decade ago.
Eliminated were 56 floats representing each of China's ethnic groups, while some special-themed floats representing sectors and areas - such as industries, energy, environmental protection, the Beijing Olympics and manned space technology - were inserted into the long queue.
The shift of focus reflected some major changes in China's overall policy directions, as 10 years ago when the nation celebrated its 50th anniversary, issues such as environmental protection and a manned space shuttle were still far-fetched notions.
The environmental-protection themed float was painted in green, with nine people described by Xinhua as 'representatives of environmental protection' standing on top waving. Surrounding the float were people wearing white shirts and blue jeans waving lurid green flags.
A space capsule-themed float obviously drew a lot of attention from state leaders standing atop Tiananmen. Zhai Zhigang , the first Chinese space walker during the Shenzhou VII mission last year, emerged from the capsule in his astronaut suit and waved a national flag while the float passed the gates.
