As celebrations marking the centenary of the 1911 revolution near their climax on the mainland, the usually politically sensitive anniversary has become a rare opportunity to revive debate about democracy and political reform - even in a year that's seen intensified efforts to stifle dissent.
For reform-minded officials and liberal intellectuals, ideas of constitutional democracy that ignited the revolution 100 years ago - marking the end of China's imperial dynasties and the first attempt by Chinese people to establish a republican government - are still very much alive.
Despite the Communist Party insisting on controlling political and historical discourse at officially sanctioned commemorative events, bold calls for substantial political change, largely a taboo topic on the mainland, have been voiced both inside and outside the party at some of the events.
But there has been obvious confusion within the intelligentsia, and even among party cadres at the grass-roots level, regarding the scope of Beijing's tolerance of events organised by non-governmental groups and think tanks.
While a good number of events - including seminars and book launches of anniversary-related publications - have been allowed to proceed, others have been either suspended or called off, some at the last minute, without official explanation.
The apparent lack of consistency has left many wondering about Beijing's wariness towards the highly charged anniversary. Some blame the government's heightened censorship and clampdown on dissent this year, but others say there haven't been any reports about a uniform policy on the issue, and that local authorities may have largely acted on their own in deciding whether a specific event should be allowed to go ahead.
