万花筒 2009-09-30&10-01 国庆盛典，安保第一（在线收听）

Beijing has planned every moment, every detail of Friday's celebration to mark 60 years of communist rule. And to ensure everything goes according to plan, a massive security force, similar in size to last year's Olympics has hit the streets.

"The way the government here celebrates is not so much by having a good time, but making sure that other people know that it's in charge."

Part of the crackdown patrols by heavily-armed soldiers and police. Cars coming into the capital are stopped and searched. On the subway, airport style screening obeyed. Residents have been ordered not to fly kites and balloons. And domestic pigeons have been grounded. And for those who live along the parade road where there have already been three late night rehearsals, orders to keep windows closed on the big day, not to stand on balconies. During the military procession, outgoing commercial flights will be suspended at Beijing Airport.

"The Chinese do it extraordinarily well. When they mobilize, they mobilize on a scale that, I think, nobody else in the world can do. They are very, very, very good at it."

The focus of the celebrations will be Tiananmen Square, swarming with police and soldiers for weeks now. Despite all of that, just over a week ago, not far from here, two separate knife attacks left two people dead and a dozen wounded. Two men have since been arrested. And the government has banned all knife sales. It was a rare act of violence though in a city widely considered one of the safest in the world. The security clampdown extends all the way to Tibet with a temporary ban on foreign tourists. Riots erupted in the provincial capital last year with monks demanding greater freedom from Beijing. And social network sites like Facebook and Twitter remained blocked ensuring dissidents or protestors don't organize online. So the only party in town on Friday will be the communist party, just like it's been for the past 60 years.

John Vause, CNN, Beijing.