Beijing kicked off its latest makeover at the weekend in preparation for the 53rd anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1 and the 16th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in November.

Work will take place in two phases in September and October respectively to clean up the eight urban districts and the Great Wall area of Beijing.

Thousands of residents and local officials took to the streets on Saturday and Sunday, cleaning the streets.

They also targeted all activities which detract from the overall appeal of the city such as illegal advertisements, unsightly construction and erratic parking.

People hawking pirated audio-visual goods and fake certificates were ordered to stop while pornographic publications were seized.

Businesses engaged in illegal construction were closed while roadside vendors engaged in such activities as grilling kebabs were banned.

Wang Daquan, a retired worker living in southern Beijing's Huashi area, spent Sunday afternoon wiping off advertisements and graffiti from a nearby alleyway.

"We think it is not bad to have a cleaner environment," he said.

"The local government has promised to maintain the wall which we have cleaned."

"Citizens are welcome to telephone us to report actions they believe are marring the appearance of the city," said an official at the campaign headquarters, who declined to be named.

Residents should also play a part in improving the appearance of the city by tidying their balconies, according to guidelines published by civic leaders.

Action will also be taken to clean up areas of the city where piles of rubbish have built up or where there is stagnant and foul-smelling water.

Teams of volunteers will be dispatched to the Great Wall to collect rubbish and money will be allocated to restore damage caused by tourists.

Thousands of potted flowers are being grown to increase the color of the Chinese capital.

Zhang Ping, an official with the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Parks and Landscape, said preparations were well under way.

"We would like to turn the city into a sea of flowers for the two occasions, and clean streets will surely enhance the beauty of our flowers," said Zhang.