This Day, That Year

Item from June 23, 1994, in China Daily: Workers take down an old light in front of the Tian'anmen Rostrum in Beijing. The 64 lights in Tian'anmen Square were set up in 1958 and will all be replaced for the first time for National Day, which falls on Oct 1.

Used as the main venue for national celebrations, Tian'anmen Square is now one of the largest public squares in the world, covering more than 44 hectares.

Every year, for about a month, usually starting in late August, the Tian'anmen Rostrum and other buildings in the square are painted for National Day.