Torbjørn Færøvik: The Dawn of the People’s Republic

Yesterday the People’s Republic of China turned seventy-six. Not a round anniversary, perhaps, yet important enough to be celebrated across the nation. In my book The Middle Kingdom: A Journey through China’s History (reissued last autumn), I recount the historic day of October 1, 1949:Beijing was dressed for a festival. In the Fragrant Hills outside the city, Li Zhisui awoke at five in the