Security in full swing in Beidaihe as resort awaits VIPs
Business as usual at resort, with sniffer dogs and plain-clothes guards patrolling beaches
The hustle and bustle of the "summer summit" is back in the seaside town of Beidaihe.
Punters had questioned whether this year's meeting would be suspended as part of the austerity drive ushered in by President Xi Jinping.
They might feel safer and privileged by keeping these cleaner areas to themselves, but how about the dirty water people like us have to share
But all the usual signs of the secretive meeting - from tightened security to watchful eyes guarding exclusive beaches and estates - suggest that it will be business as usual.
The Beidaihe summit is a series of informal behind-closed-door discussions involving the top echelon of the Communist Party and elders from earlier generations of leaders at which key strategies are rolled out.
It has taken place almost every year since the late 1950s, though there have been suspensions. This year, sniffer dog teams have been patrolling facilities, including public toilets and shops inside the railway station.
Identification must be shown along the only two roads leading into the resort area.
Once inside Beidaihe, there is a noticeable police presence everywhere. Officers stand at 50-metre intervals guarding the length of Dongjing Road, the main road through the town.
