Tiananmen Square guard, Beijing, China, 2004 by Phil Douglis

Phil Douglis | all galleries >> Galleries >> Gallery Fifteen: Making travel portraits that define personality and character. > Tiananmen Square guard, Beijing, China, 2004

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16-JUN-2004

Tiananmen Square guard, Beijing, China, 2004

I stood directly in front of this Tiananmen Square guard for a while and captured variously dutiful expressions as he stared back at me. I soon realized that what was going on in the background was important as the subject, because it implied multiple authorities. This portrait works as expression because of the juxtaposition of this subject with important background information. The short-sleeved guard before us is obviously the lowest ranking person in the picture. Behind him, standing on a podium, is another guard – softly focused but impressively dressed with weapons, jacket, and much gold braid. He’s the guy in charge here. But the person giving this portrait its ultimate context is in the softly focused mug shot on the wall of the Forbidden City in the background. Although Mao’s day may be long past, the presence of his image on the wall between these two guards still symbolizes ultimate authority. Both the god-like presence of Mao and proximity of the officer in charge, bring considerable context – and pressure -- to this young guard’s job.

Canon PowerShot G5
1/1000s f/4.0 at 28.8mm hide exif

Full EXIF Info
Date/Time	16-Jun-2004 07:44:37
Make	Canon
Model	PowerShot G5
Flash Used	No
Focal Length	28.8 mm
Exposure Time	1/1000 sec
Aperture	f/4
ISO Equivalent
Exposure Bias
White Balance	(-1)
Metering Mode	multi spot (3)
JPEG Quality	(6)
Exposure Program	shutter priority (2)
Focus Distance

other sizes: small medium large original auto

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Phil Douglis		23-Feb-2006 05:55
Thank you, Shirley, for adding additional context with this comment. It is always helpful to have as much context as possible for an image such as this, which obviously can be interpreted differently by people with varying beliefs, prejudices, and perspectives. I am returning once again to Beijing in a few weeks, and when I am once again shooting in Tiananmen Square, I will be armed with additional insights -- thanks to you and the many others, including many Chinese, who have left comments on this image.

Shirley Wang		23-Feb-2006 03:51
I thought I'd provide some translation to non-chinese readers and a reminder to fellows who have visited this place. The two characters on the left reads "Long Live", which is the end of a sentence that reads "Long Live the People's Republic of China!". On the right of Mao, another sentence reads "Long Live the Great Unification/Friendship of Peoples All Over the World!" I believe these relect the wishes of people in every country for their own country and for the world, though they may have different experiences and ideas on how to achieve these.

Phil Douglis		24-Jan-2006 01:32
Thanks for this observation. I don't know if he is in technically in charge or not, but he stands on a podium, and wears a weapon and an ornate uniform, while the fellow in the foreground appears unarmed and wears short sleeves. There is, to me anyway, brings a sense of progressive authority to this image.

Guest		19-Jan-2006 04:26
One thing I want to point out is that the second man with weapon is not the person in charge. I think that the two people belong to different units, maybe they are at the same unit but just different positions.

Guest		20-Sep-2005 11:34
Very well photographed, I like the comments and the way you have captured the chain of command, starting with the lowest, in focus, through to the highest, soft focus. Well done.

alibenn		24-Jul-2005 08:06
well said....

Phil Douglis		24-Jul-2005 06:59
Thanks, Alister, for your additional thoughts. I post my images to teach others how to make expressive images. And how to read them as well. Because the acts of making or reading any expressive image involves stimulating the human imagination, by default we are always dealing with utterly subjective feelings. I think it is impossible to make an expressive image "objectively." And it is also impossible to interpret one "objectively." Expressive images are an art form, and all art is interpretive, and therefore subjective in nature. In the introduction to this cyberbook, I said: "There can be no such thing as a single “meaning” for any expressive photograph. Each image can have a number of meanings, depending upon who is looking at it. Although it is possible to sometimes agree on the general meaning of some pictures because of commonly shared context or thought patterns, it is important to keep in mind that truly expressive images usually trigger thoughts that stimulate the mind, emotions, and imagination of the viewer. Each person really determines their own version of what a picture says or does not say. In the end, all meaning is really what we call 'subjective.' Expressive photography is an art form, and all art exists truly in the eye of the beholder." As you say, Alister, at the end of your last comment, "It's all just perspective and whatever box you want to preach from." This image may well show the pride and honor of China and the Chinese, as you say. It depends upon the context brought to it. To others it may awaken unpleasant memories of suffering and intolerance. And still others will see it as I saw it, simply a young guard doing his job, an exercise expressed in the context of authority and command. If there is any "misrepresetation" going on here, it does not come from the image. It comes from those who have taken my intentions out of context and read into it things I never intended to say. End of story.

alibenn		24-Jul-2005 05:22
Thanks Phil for the endorsement of support for peace and things we can find in common with eash other rather than focusing on differences. I felt quite worked up after writing the last comment here, so I went for a good walk along the sea front near my home here in North East China. In that two hours, I witnessed many aspects of China today...no camera, no video, just a pair of eyes, so no misrepresentation with context. There were loads of happy couples, families on the beach, even in the rain, plenty of touts tring to sell me fake coral and seashells, and a multitude of sea creatures in tanks ready to fill the experimental lunchers...oh, and as usual I was well stared at... Is that a miss-representation of Chinese society, would an isolated photograph of a woman spitting of the street been a mis-representation, would a live fish being gutted have provoked protest? It is way too easy to provoke mis-representation, we have a powerful tool in our hands these days, but I, like you Phil would much prefer to use these images to show that humans are pretty much the same all over the world; we love our country, we love our family and it is easier to defend what we believe than to admit we may be wrong... My gallery of the wedding between my wife's little sister to a German guy here:http://www.pbase.com/alibenn/celebration_in_china was intended to show that feeling of humanity.... I think this image, shows the pride and honor of China and the Chinese just as effectively as it does any perceived authority or sinister undertones, it's all just perspective and whatever box you want to preach from, assuming those who most opposed the images expression, were trying to make you accept you mis-represented China...

Phil Douglis		24-Jul-2005 03:48
Thanks, Alister, for adding some much needed perspective to the comments that appear under this image. As you so eloquently point out, making a photograph is a highly selective act. This image is indeed just 1/1000th of a second of a day in the life of Tiananmen Square guard. It is not intended to be comprehensive. You make a good point here -- this image symbolizes merely one aspect of Chinese society. I am not trying to say anything more than that with this image. To be sure, we can use this moment in time to represent or symbolize larger ideas that encourage thought. But we certainly can't claim that this image is the essence of today's China any more than we can say a picture of a homeless person sleeping on a Beijing street, or someone shopping for expensive jewelry on Shanghai's Nanjing Road, is "typical of China." Like you, Alister, I have no interest in things that drive people apart. I teach expressive photography. It can be a powerful language. Over the years, it has been best used to bring people together through building mutual concern and understanding, not reinforcing sterotypical prejudices.

alibenn		24-Jul-2005 02:24
A very interesting dialogue on this image, which in reality is just a 1/1000's of a second of a day in the life of a Beijing guard. I am sure he would be delighted to be the centre of such debate!! I find myself confused by the vehament views of some of the commentors on this image. One of the big problems with the world is the segmentation that goes on, Westerners, Foreigners, Blacks, Chinese, Americans, Jews, Communists, Republicans, democrats, Christians, and on and on until my boredom forces me to go and do something better with my time. People feel the need to label people as above, some choose to label themselves, and most will willingly label others, particularly if it can be used as some justification to disagree with what they are saying. How can a westerner possibly have the audacity to make comment on Chinese culture, I live in China, am married to a Chinese woman and we have a perfect relationship, purely because we don't judge each other or each others culture or backgrounds. I love China, but am met with the same xenophobia on a daily basis by many people I meet, just as profound and just as ignorant as some Westerners views on China. Get real people, China is no different from the USA or the UK. Both those nations came out of dubious political and humanitarian pasts, there are episodes during the history of all nations that people may not be proud of to recall or be reminded of. You start pulling at the strings of American or UK history and all too soon the crap starts appearing. It's the same with China, no better, no worse.... Most people are proud of their country, the winners in any war feel the vindication their victory brings, I doubt the people of the losing country share their opinion. Too much of history has been an attempt to superimpose one nations idiology, politics or religeon on the lives of others, you can't even get Scottish and English to agree on anything, how can we expect Chinese and Old Ghosts to manage the impossible... What Phil has done here is portrayed one aspect of Chinese sociaty, to deny it exists is lying to yourself. You could take the same shot in Washington DC with different subject matter, but the message would be the same...What is a visting photographer to do, shoot Bedaling, MacDonalds and Versace stores? A Chinese visiting photographer can shoot homeless people in any US city, you can mix it up any way you want, a photograph by it's very nature is only one tiny aspect of reality, they have been used to manipulate the truth for a hundred years, or simply capture a fraction of a second and show ONE aspect of reality... People should not be so quick to judge or condemn others for their opinions or interpretation of what is just an image. Ignorance and prejudice walk hand in hand...

Phil Douglis		13-Jul-2005 23:05
Thanks, Guest, for this comment. You are interpreting my picture through a context you apply to it, colored by your own political beliefs. All of which I respect. And I am interpreting this policeman's role as part of a historical and operational hierarchy, and I composed and photographed it accordingly. As you can see from the comments here, it has triggered many an imagination, and all kinds of reactions, all of them depending upon the context each viewer brings to it. That is how expressive photography works. It is not a matter of good or bad, right or wrong. You feel I have cropped it to reflect a westerner's view of China. Perhaps you are right. I am a westerner. But many Chinese viewers here seem to reflect a similar view, so I feel it comes down to an individual's view, not a particuarly regional or national viewpoint. In any event, if this image triggers ideas, discussion, and thought, it is doing its job. It goes, I feel, far beyond the "technical shot" you describe it as.

Guest		13-Jul-2005 22:51
A very misleading picture! It does not reflect the life of the great chinese people. It is cropped to fit the impression of how western people think of China. A technical shot. Nothing else.

Phil Douglis		26-Apr-2005 20:55
Thanks, Jess, for your cropping suggestions. I re-cropped this picture into a square as you suggested, but found it substantially changed the meaning of the picture. By taking out both the left and right sides of the image, it becomes, as you say, strictly focused on the chain of command here. However I feel the square crop removes the very essence of its context, Tiananmen Square. The bus traffic of the square, as well the red banners that adorn the walls of the Forbidden City, which borders the square, adds a horizontal counterpoint to the figures of the two policemen and Mao's portrait. This picture is intended as an environmental portrait, and it is the thrust of the horizontal frame, with its bus, banners, and walls that gives it that environment. What can we learn from this? When framing or cropping a picture, I don't crop for subject matter only. I crop to relate my subject to a context that illuminates meaning. Expression goes beyond subject matter -- it involves the interrelationship of subject and context.

Guest		26-Apr-2005 19:52
This is a great shot Phil, I love it, even though I'm very much against the communist ideal. However, I think that's exactly the reason why this photo appeals to me. You've captured the very essence of "big brother is watching" and it's just great. However, I would have cropped out both sides so the left is barely touching the guard's shoulder and right border would be on the edge of the podium... I think this would make an even more powerful/focused image... What do you think?

Phil Douglis		25-Mar-2005 02:30
Fascinating insights, Bruce. Thanks for adding them to the lively discussion that has formed around this image. He stands here, as you say, at the very end of the chain of command -- a symbol of a state's power to maintain and protect its traditions, laws, and doctrines. I saw him as just that when I made this image this past summer. As you say, It could not have been easy not easy for that young cop out there in that square. Thousands of tourists staring at him, thousands of Chinese looking at him with varying degrees of admiration or contempt, and all the while he tries to stay aloof and keep his job. That's why I chose him, of all the hundreds of possible subjects, to focus on during the limited time that our tour group was in that square. There is a struggle going on within him, and I could feel it. I am returning to Beijing again next year at this time -- spending three days there before taking a cruise along the coast of Asia. I won't be with a tour group in Beijing next time, and I am requesting a hotel within walking distance of the square. I want to be able to spend more time there as a photographer, leisurely exploring and interpreting the very subject you bring up in your comment -- the power of symbols to evoke ideas. It could provide the basis of a new gallery for my cyberbook. Thanks, Bruce, for the idea.

Guest		25-Mar-2005 01:23
The chain of command reveals itself quite graphically and powerfully here. From the state, right on down to the individual officer - the guy in the trenches, the one on the frontline. He himself has no power, no say, but he'll take a fair share of the brunt of whatever actions the state cooks up. He's just a man, a young one at that. He appears to be unarmed and is in "dress" uniform. His function is therefore symbolic, almost decorative. He probably feels self-concious and exposed, to the public on the one hand and then to his supervisor who is literally staring over his shoulder! He has no input into any policy or rule or regulation; he gets told where to stand and for how long. He's there because he needed a job, and maybe he'd like to climb the ladder and get a better job, but I bet his more immediate desire is to stay out of trouble with his boss. He's a lot like us.

Phil Douglis		08-Mar-2005 19:18
Thanks, River, for your thoughtful response. I welcome all views on my images. I have expressed mine, and you can express yours, and so can the others who have taken their time to comment on this image. It has obviously triggered a strong response. That was my intention. That is the power of expressive photography. I chose to make this image speak of authority, because I feel that the nature of authority has had a profound effect on China's history. I let others read whatever they may want into this picture. Five of the people who have commented on this image are Chinese or may have Chinese ancestry. They all expressed views that differ widely. I am thrilled that my image can cause such a diversity of response. It shows us once again, the power of expressive imagery to stimulate both the mind, the imagination, and the intellect.

Guest		08-Mar-2005 05:49
Hi, Phil, I am saddened by some viewers’ comments and your feelings on this photo. You did a good job to express that chain of command or authority... but today I am not saddened by the feeling you want to express, but saddened by why you have such a feeling. I have great respects in your work, because you have demonstrated such a passion in connecting with different cultures and human societies through your works. But on this particular photo, or in this particular area, I found your passion has blocked you to see what other Chinese people would think of their Tiananmen Square. I can certainly understand Andy's sad feeling toward to "authority" and "chain of command”, which reflected what happened in 1989. This is how most westerners’ views on China or Chinese political system, heavily based on the western value system. And for most passionate westerners, Tiananmen Square is an unforgettable place, because it symbolize the weakness strive against the power and authority… How pitiful though, very few westerners have shown their interests to understand what Tiananmen Square really means to the average Chinese people. Tiananmen Square is a symbol of Chinese independence, and it was MAO declared that independence in 1949, at Tiananmen. Just like every other nation, Chinese people have great pride for themselves, and they desire to have their country to be as powerful or influential as it used to be… that’s all human nature, and that’s called NATIONAL PRIDE. But Chinese national pride is “bad” because China is “communist”. American national pride is good because America has democracy. It’s not about real people’s feeling, but about what the title of the system is. So westerners easily remember every negative event happened in China because that’s the fault of Communist; but they ignore all the positive development because that’s considered as either is used for communist ruling, or we just cannot give credit to communist what so ever. This is how many die hard Americans view on China. If I told you, the soldiers and guard are the symbol of hero, the hero that protects China as an independence nation; I bet many viewers would laugh at me. If I told you Mao was a god to many Chinese because he brought a new life to Chinese people, many people would think I am a die-hard Communist… well, the true fact is, if you show this very same image to average Chinese people, many of them will have very positive feeling on this image. Why? The exact same thing you tried to express in this image means totally different to them. But very sadly these positive feelings are so easily ignored. It saddens me more, that so many non-Chinese thinks they can speak for Chinese, for the good sake of Chinese people, but pitifully they had very limited understanding on China, Chinese history, Chinese culture, and average Chinese people’s feelings. All they have is the passion for human right, the passion that sometimes have no interests to understand others first. I write this, not trying to criticize your or other viewers’ motivation on expressing such a strong negative feeling on something that average Chinese would not. It is not your fault at all. I think everyone has their right and freedom to express their own feelings. I have enormous amount of respect for your work and passion for photography and other culture and people. However, this particular image, for me, has demonstrated me a powerful lesson, that how our own strong passion can limit our views on others. If we try to express the feeling FOR someone, we should be extremely careful.

Phil Douglis		27-Feb-2005 02:53
Thanks, Andy, for your thoughtful response. As you can see, this image has triggered a wide range of responses, and that was my intention. It is why I photograph. Expressive images draw both emotional and intellectual responses. Yours is both. Political views aside, I was moved by the depth of your feelings. When I made this image, I sensed much of what you say here. You have validated those feelings. Thanks.

Andy Kwan		19-Jan-2005 23:19
I meant to write "Deng" (Xiaoping) instead of "Tang". Sorry about the confusion.

Andy Kwan		19-Jan-2005 23:00
If one of the purposes of photography is to evoke emotion, I want to let you know this picture opens up wound and triggers pain, Phil. It is so immense especially learning about the death of Zhao, an ex-Chinese leader who was ousted for being sympathetic towards the students of Tiananmen Square. I see an old civilization at the crossroad in this photo. I see the “chain of command” that you are trying to convey in a slightly different way. The physical location of the three subjects (guard on the floor, officer on the podium, portrait of Mao on the wall) is like a ladder to me. This “ladder” is a symbol of hierarchy, a mirror image of the design concept of the Forbidden City that is on other side of that formidable tall red wall. With layers of long stairway leading to the palace, the design of the Forbidden City emphasizes one thing: the supremacy of the ruler upon his subjects so that he be worshipped. The days of emperors had long gone but this mentality of Chinese leaders to rule his subject through tight control, just like the globe under the forceful paw of the lion statue, has not changed much for the “modern emperors” of China. This mentality is shown explicitly by the slogan hanging on that tall red wall that you have partly captured. The two Chinese words on the left side of the wall mean “long live” or longevity. In the old days, the entire slogan read “Long Live Chairman Mao” and I guess the current slogan should be “Long Live the Chinese Communist Party”. It’s been 15 years after the Tiananmen Square but I still vividly remember the millions of us who went on the street in Hong Kong to vent off our anger and despair. To date, my hate for the butcher Li stays but somehow my despair over Tang softens. As I get older, I can’t help to wonder if we were ready for drastic changes at the time or even now. May be Tang was right that a controlled reform is good for China? But whether it justifies the bloodshed and whether Zhao is wrong will be judged by history one day. In this photo, I see the tension between maintaining status quo versus change. The hierarchy formed the three subjects represent the former. The traffic that run between the officer and Mao’s portrait represents the inevitable force of change in conjunction with economic reform. In this crossroad, I see something common to all of us: sense of insecure about change and I see HOPE! Andy

Guest		16-Jan-2005 09:45
Phil, I love this one. I grew up there, and I think this is China. No matter how strong the economic is going there, “the chain of command” is still there, not if there is anything wrong with it. It’s a culture thing, not just in Military, I think.

Phil Douglis		06-Jan-2005 05:27
Thanks, Barri. You are very perceptive. "Chain of command" was exactly what I was thinking as I made it. And Mao's ghost still haunts China. His policies cost China an entire generation of ideas and productivity. Although China has now become a great economic engine, the legacy of the Mao years still echos in its impoverished countryside. So yes, this image does tell an important story. Thank you for picking up on it.

Barri Olson		06-Jan-2005 04:55
I really think this is a tremendously effective photo Phil. It's almost a metaphor for "chain of command". Even though Mao is gone, I think the legacy of his authoritarian pressence still lives on. It sure does in this picture. And although we know that China is a very complex society, it is almost like a history of the modern Chinese state, that we know and categorize in our minds, in a single picture. To me, very effective and well done. Almost as if Mao's ghost still haunts China. Barri

Phil Douglis		30-Nov-2004 20:15
Thanks, Filip, for you comment. As you can see from my explanation, this image took a bit of time and work in order to get this expression. As for the washed out color, you might want to make sure you click on the "original" size link. I find that pbase compresses images when viewed in any of the smaller sizes, and the compressed version is often has less contrast. It was a smoggy day, with flat light, and I added contrast in Photoshop to make these colors more vivid.

Guest		22-Nov-2004 08:18
The repetitive pattern of the three faces is just amazing and makes this shot stand out form a lot of others that I've seen taken at this same exact location. I also like how you framed to portrait of Chairman Mao between the two guards and the soft DOF divides the three layers nicely as well. If I were to nit pick here I'd say that the image is a tad washed-out (in terms of colors) and probably needs a bit of a contrast boost as well (might have been one of the smoggy and overcast days in Beijing). I've tried taking pictures of these guys myself, but each time I raised my camera they would block their faces with their hands. I did get one good shot, though. Well done.

Phil Douglis		27-Oct-2004 21:02
Thanks for the comment. I am wondering how you have passed through Tiananmen Square a million times if you live in Virgina? You must have lived in China. In any event, I am delighted you like this picture. If I can make the familiar appear unfamiliar, I am doing my job as an expressive photographer.

Guest		27-Oct-2004 19:47
Great capture! I passed by there millions of times. :)

Phil Douglis		22-Sep-2004 06:45
Anna --you are passionate and eloquent. You obviously have strong reasons for what you say, and I respect them. My picture says none of this to me, but all of it to you. Which brings us back to the power of expressive photography -- a picture is indeed worth a thousand words, and the context the viewer brings to it is as important as the content the image itself provides. P.

Anna Yu		22-Sep-2004 03:50
That is exactly why this is frightening. They are teaching the wrong things to the young people. Whole generations are lost. A civilization that does not teach compassion is primitive, doomed to failure, lots of destruction in the process. A picture is worth a thousand words.

Phil Douglis		21-Sep-2004 21:08
You are right. There is arrogance. But i see the arrogance of youth, not of a tyrant in short sleeves. I don't see him as repressive. He is there to keep order. It is his job. He is, after all, only following his orders. And those orders come to him through the layers of authority that comprise this shot. If repression is part of my image it is because you have put it there as result of your own feelings about the 20th Century history and politics of China. Which is fine -- my images are designed to trigger thoughts and ideas and that is why I have posted this one. Thanks, Anna, for your thoughts. Phil

Anna Yu		21-Sep-2004 18:49
Another thing, that face of authority, I see a lot of arrogance in it. In my book that's tyranny. Not a good kind of authority, a repressive one.

Phil Douglis		21-Sep-2004 18:21
I like your crop, Anna. It makes the image simpler and stronger. As for the red, I agree with your concept, but I don't see that much difference in meaning between your red and my red. Do you? Phil

Anna Yu		21-Sep-2004 18:05
Well you asked for my interpretation. Red is a very important symbolic part of this picture. I think the original is too washed out. Too much clutter on the right.

Phil Douglis		20-Sep-2004 18:56
I don't see the face tyranny as much as authority, here Anna. But these layers do comment on history, and the history of China over the last 75 years is in this image. As for your post-processing, I don't see that much of difference in meaning between your vivid results and the coloration of my own image. I see no problem with either color interpretation -- I guess your reds are a touch more red than mine, but in the end, what does that say?

Anna Yu		20-Sep-2004 14:53
The face of tyranny. Or rather, 2 1/2 faces. Here's what I think, that this photo depicts that which I also hate (other than Nutella), a totalitarian view of life. Forgive me for harping on this, but a lot of post-processing can and should be done. We are in a digital age. People expect vivid results. This is a great basic image to work on.

Phil Douglis		24-Jul-2004 17:15
Thanks, Likyin, for bringing the perspective of a contemporary Chinese citizen to this image. I made this image to express aspects of authority. For the past 600 years, China's rulers have expressed that authority from this very place -- the Forbidden City, and more recently, on the great expanse of Tiananmen Square, where these guards now stand. Over the past century, many unfortunate decisions have been made in this place, and there has been great suffering as a result. If this image can throw any light on the nature of authority, as well as its counterpoint, freedom, it is doing what I intended. I'm happy that you are now feeling more and more free in your own country as the years pass, and I agree that it is always more productive to see things in a positive, rather than negative light. Good things usually come from positive ideas. From what I just saw and felt in China, history now seems to be running in your favor. Thanks, Likyin, for expressing your positive thoughts with all of us. The Internet is a wonderful means of expression --to be able to share my images of China with Chinese people such as yourself, and then receive such thoughts as yours in return, is very rewarding.

Guest		24-Jul-2004 15:46
Speechless, not because I don't know about the history, but that I wish my country the best. I also don't know what exactly was in all these three men's brain at the second Phil made his shoot. All I could tell is, I feels more and more free in my city Guangzhou when years and years pass by. We all seems easier to remember the nagative, sometimes even feel more interested in nagative news, upon both the US and CHN, all over the (human) world ... Don't know if it's a best way for human society to make progress. Well, it did help some from time to time. LY

Phil Douglis		16-Jul-2004 19:17
Yes, the student protest in Tiananmen Square was very much on my mind as I photographed in that historic place. The uprising there was a challenge to authority, and this image is all about authority, as well. No accident. As for the "shark of history" on the guard's shoulder (the shadowed ceiling in the doorway of the great gate to the Forbidden City) I'll leave that interpretation to you, Tim.

Tim May		16-Jul-2004 18:43
Two things about this image draw my attention - One is the history of the uprising and the now clear line of authority which is present and still holding its grip on China. The second is the black fin - the shark of history.

Guest		14-Jul-2004 00:57
Great one. Reminds me of a Formula 1 podium because of the places.

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