The prosecution called for Bo to be punished according to a law that prescribes a minimum of 10 years in jail for taking bribes of more than 100,000 yuan.
Bo was once one of the 25 members of the Communist Party’s Politburo, and the party is touting the trial as proof of its intent to crack down on corruption.
But details about the scandal, which erupted in the build up to a once in a decade leadership handover that saw Xi Jinping elevated as party chief, have also exposed the high flying lifestyles and murky dealings of China’s political elite.
It also revealed factional divisions within the party, and the proceedings remain sensitive.
Scores of blue uniformed police early Thursday blocked roads around the front and side entrances of the court, in the eastern province of Shandong, far from Bo’s power bases.
Hundreds of passersby stopped to watch, some capturing the scene on their smartphones, as cars, buses and ambulances occasionally drove into the court.
One Bo supporter surnamed He, who worked part of the year in Chongqing, said he flew in the night before and had met many others from the city.
The 51 year old said he had not told his family he was coming to the trial, reflecting the sensitivity of the situation.
Yet he openly praised the fallen leader in front of a row of police blocking the street.
“I bow to you,” he called out several times while snapping photos as a convoy of buses drove past.
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