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Star ConductorA Chinese military-band conductor rehearses in Beijing's Great Hall of the People before the opening session of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference—an annual legislative session—on March 3.Why We Love It"Being an architectural symbol of Beijing's politics, the Great Hall of the People always seems attractive to photographers. Of the tons of photos taken from both inside and outside the hall, I've never seen one as engaging as this. The photographer managed to match a strange angle with an interesting moment, making this photo full of life, power, and a little bit of irony."—Echo Xie, photography intern"I'm sure we've all seen how the flattened perspective of a photograph can be used for comedic effect; in many cases it seems gimmicky, but in this image, the effect adds a bit of whimsy to a serious situation. It's nice to see a photographer paying careful attention to the background of an image."—Chris Combs, news photo editor—Korena Di Roma
Photograph by Ng Han Guan, AP

Pictures We Love: Best of March

See National Geographic photo editors' ten favorite pictures from the past month—from a tornado-hit house to an eye-popping Easter tree.

Published April 4, 2012