October 8, 2007
Most Beijing papers featured front-page photos of Line 5 of the Beijing subway system, which officially opened yesterday.
Some papers ran photos of the crowds of people who showed up for the opening, but Xinhua Daily Telegraph, the official news agency’s collection of wire reports, ran a shot of reduced-price tickets bearing an image of one of the new stations. Ticket prices dropped to a uniform 2 yuan following a public hearing on the 26 September. The new subway line features full mobile phone coverage, and come next year, video screens will broadcast Olympic events live for passengers’ enjoyment. (More info at tbjblog.)
The top headline asks “Why are we filled with anticipation about the Party Congress?” Answers are provided by party members of various ages and stations. The bold graf in the article reads:
Why do the people trust the Communist Party so? Speaking the words the people wish to say, performing the deeds the people wish to do—the party has never slackened its pace of exploration, and has never abandoned its conviction that the people should live good lives. (link)
Other headlines:
- An opinion piece above the subway story urges a full assessment of the results of the just-concluded Golden Week holiday; rather than a simple tabulation of tourist traffic and revenues, crowds, delays, and safety should also be taken into account;
- On the right, a short snippet announces that the press center website for the 17th Party Congress opens today: http://www.cpcnews.cn/;
- “With no place for dried stalks to go, no wonder ‘beacon smoke’ is so hard to eliminate” – During the Golden Week, the reporter finds farmers burning stalks in their fields. They know it’s against the rules, but they have no other way to dispose of the stuff.