Beijing, Changan Avenue to be precise, will be a hive of activity as cars whisk some 2,900 National Party Congress and 2,200 Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference delegates from their hotels to their annual meetings this week and next.
Private cars have been instructed to make way for cars with NPC stickers but are allowed to crowd into special lanes designated for buses. Efforts will be made to ensure NPC cars follow each other closely on the main drag so that they do not hold up traffic longer than necessary while police cars will be equipped with Global Positioning Systems to control traffic circulation. NPC cars will also have to wait at red lights but this will not ease traffic congestion in the city as roads are blocked off and traffic diverted from the main arteries.
For the rest of the country, it will be business as usual or it might be business at a less hectic pace as officials take a breather after a few weeks of hard work preparing for the parliamentary session. This week's NPC meeting is important because a new leadership will be elected to replace President Jiang Zemin and Premier Zhu Rongji.
While life will not exactly grind to a halt, most of the important business in Beijing were taken care of last week. A flurry of high-powered visits was packed in back-to-back. US Secretary of State Colin Powell flew in on Tuesday followed by Cuban President Fidel Castro on Wednesday and Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov on Thursday.
As the delegates descend on Beijing, a 400,000-strong civilian security contingent takes position on roads, in hutongs, on pedestrian bridges, outside hotels, restaurants, pedestrian bridges and power stations to help police keep the peace in the capital.
Every danwei or work unit has appointed someone from within to wear the 'zhi an xun luo' - (security patrol - red armband) and scout the streets for troublemakers. Many of them are no more than mop-haired teenagers. Some are people on the dole and there are some 2,500 party volunteers.
The Post Office has made its contribution to the smooth staging of the NPC by issuing a set of commemorative stamps and first day covers featuring the lily. The Shenyang Railway Bureau is doing its bit by changing its menu to suit the taste buds of delegates traveling to Beijing. Airlines are giving delegates 20 per cent discount on travel during the NPC period.