# national ceremony

Guarding the State’s Voice: Life at Xinhua’s No. 3 Sentinel

A human-interest profile of an armed policeman’s long watch at Xinhua’s No. 3 sentinel post illuminates how routine guard duty doubles as both practical security and symbolic protection of the state’s information apparatus. Small details—seasonal ginkgo leaves, a stray cat, and the proximity to national parades—show how personal sacrifice is woven into China’s public rituals.