leaving the hotel at 6:15 was not enough: there was already quite a crowd – 99% chinese – at tiananmen square, chatting in the cold morning air and all waiting for the flag to be brought by clockwork-like moving soldiers to the flag pole. and i was in the midst, all i could see were the camera displays of the fellows standing in front of me.

when the flag finally was rising, i was lucky to catch a glimpse over the heads to see the portrait of the chairman watching this ceremony.

tiananmen now of course is a highly political place, so there was quite a number of policemen to watch the spectators, and all lamp posts are equipped with dozens of cameras. therefore i was even more astonished to see dozens of homeless sleeping in the underpass leading to the „great hall of the people“. when i started taking pictures, again policemen appeared, this time not adressing me but instructing the homeless to probably pack their belongings and go.