nan and granddad state

I'm a bit late to it, but this charming piece in Danwei reminds us of something that the CPC has known for a long time: pensioners are both an effective and cost effective surveillance resource.

As the sun goes down on the  last day of the 18th Party Congress and the light begins to fade in the hutong of Beijing, I approach a group of septuagenarian volunteers busy knitting scarves and ask if I can photograph them. They immediately refuse, one lady shaking her head furiously and explaining “it is not proper to knit while on duty! Someone will see!”