AP Photos: China wraps up its National People’s Congress in a sea of red

BEIJING, China (AP) — China wrapped up the National People's Congress — its biggest political event of the year — on Tuesday. The color red is the common visual characteristic, from the color of the national flag and seal, standing high above participants on the Great Hall of the People to the carpets rolled out for delegates.

Red has been synonymous with the Communist Party since before the 1949 revolution and traditionally has been the color of auspiciousness and hope for the future, particularly around holidays such as last month’s Lunar New Year.

The annual major political event brought together the nation’s top leaders and thousands of provincial leaders to endorse decisions already made by the all-powerful Chinese Communist Party.