As a red flag bearing the sickle and hammer cut through the early-morning Beijing sky, the message was clear: as it marks its centenary, the Communist Party is determined that only it will continue to rule China.
In the capital's immense Tiananmen Square, tens of thousands of handpicked spectators cheered, sang, and waved flags.
To mark the 100th anniversary ceremony of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), the crowd was bussed in throughout the night to pass through rigorous security and health checks.
Organisers were leaving nothing to chance to disrupt a triumphant show of success for the ruling party, beefing up security across the city and carefully coordinating the neatly choreographed crowd.
After the flag procession, helicopters formed the number "100" in the sky, followed by fighter planes and an acrobatic patrol that left a multicolored trail in the skies over the Chinese capital.
