World

As China prepares to mark the 60th anniversary of Communist rule, the BBC’s Michael Bristow takes a look at one of the country’s few remaining communes, a hallmark of the early Communist regime.
In the village of Nanjie in northern China, workers begin the day by singing in praise of the country’s former leader Mao Zedong.
More than three decades after his death, Chairman Mao is still remembered fondly across China, but in Nanjie he has a special significance.
The village is one of the country’s last remaining communes, where workers still abide by many of the former chairman’s principles.
Most communes were disbanded years ago as China’s leaders began to turn the country’s planned economy into one governed by the market.
But the Nanjie commune is still going strong, providing its residents with their daily needs. Few people want to see it disappear.