Front page, Oct 1, 2013

2013: The floral display

The front page on Oct 1, 2013, carried a photo of a giant basket of artificial flowers and fruits placed in the center of Tian'anmen Square. The display was created to send "blessings to the motherland" on that special day.

The floral display is a National Day routine observed for years.

The theme for the flower display changes each year to represent major national events, such as the Olympic Games, completion of the Three Gorges Dam project, or the launch of Shenzhou spacecraft.

On the right side of the page, we have Premier Li Keqiang praising the work of foreign experts in China and their contributions to the country, adding that he emphasizes that China will continue to invite more foreign experts to the country.

"Inviting foreign experts has aided China in opening up. It benefits the Chinese people and the whole world," Li said.

The annual award was established in 1991, and it has since been bestowed on 1,299 foreign experts from more than 60 countries and regions. More than 550,000 foreign experts were working in China last year.