It meant a new step towards unification with all the islands in the area, of which - according to the Chinese the renegade province of Taiwan is the most important. Subtle The Chinese propaganda machine did its best to turn this historical moment into a happy event. Thousands of flags and notably subtle posters decorated the streets. In the old days state propaganda, posters used a lot of yellow and bright red and showed smiling people waving Mao's Red Book. Nowadays the colours are much softer, and the posters carry a friendly, albeit socialist, message.
Bottom right is the bridge connecting Macau to the mainland.
It symbolizes the long way the island has come. Cheers Loud cheers went up from the crowd in front of the ruins of St. Pauls when Prime Minister Jiang Zemin formally announced the transition at midnight. There was a display of Chinese fireworks. Next day Chinese army tanks rolled into the city centre. They were followed by a caravan of floats, enthusiastically greeted by a flagwaving crowd.