Chinese Communist Party's 18th National Congress: What goes on inside great hall of people

Beijing is in security lockdown – kitchen knives have been removed from shop shelves, racing pigeons are confined to their lofts and the window controls removed from passenger seats in taxis across the city to stop people furtively passing out dissenting messages from the back seat. Shush...The Chinese Communist Party ( CCP) is in its ritual huddle.

About 2,300 delegates from municipalities, autonomous regions and provinces all over China are meeting in Beijing for the once-in-a-decade leadership transition at the Party’s 18th National Congress. Or as they call it in Beijing, the ‘ 18th Major’. Here’s a primer.