Life from the end of a pole

When China's annual legislative and political advisory sessions are on the capital's center stage, these top political conferences get attention through entertaining and innovative ways. For example, the selfie stick, which has recently taken tourists and outdoor sports enthusiasts worldwide by storm, has found its way into the conference halls via reporters without photographers and celebrity representatives who are too busy to take group photos at set times. The selfie stick is now widely used with smartphones thanks to its ability to get shots that squeeze more people into the frame. On JD.com, China's major online shopping website for electrical appliances, a selfie stick usually sells from 50 to 100 yuan ($8-16). There are more than 100 different brands available. At a time when the spread of news is measured in seconds, these self-service devices have become more reliable than heavy machines. Perhaps the gadgets' arrival at the meetings was inevitable.

Members, deputies, reporters and tourists use selfie sticks to capture the moments at the heart of Beijing during the two sessions. Photos by China Daily

(China Daily European Weekly 03/20/2015 page4)