GRAND MEETING: The First Session of the 11th National People's Congress (NPC) opens in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, on March 5

FAR AND WIDE: Lawmakers from across China, many dressed in local costume, listen intently at the meeting

PARTICIPATION: NPC deputies from Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region view a photograph they took in front of the Great Hall of the People

ARMY DEPUTIES: Service people in the 11th NPC totalled 2685

INTERNATIONAL INTEREST: A foreign journalist covers the NPC meeting