Beijing lit up with pomp and pageantry on Wednesday at a massive parade showcasing China's latest military hardware, watched by world leaders including North Korea's Kim Jong Un and Russia's Vladimir Putin. Members of the public gathered from the crack of dawn at the capital's Tiananmen Square, the entrance gate of the historic Forbidden City and the focus point of President Xi Jinping's show of force to the world.
Guests posed with wide smiles for photos with their parade invitations against the backdrop of Tiananmen, which was adorned with national flags of China and thousands of red and green seats set up for the occasion. Giant, golden numerals "1945" and "2025" were erected on the square, a reminder of the 80 years that had passed since the end of World War II.
"This is the first time I'm attending a military parade. It's magnificent to be here," Jenny Wang, a 24-year-old civil servant, told AFP. "It's important to commemorate the end of this war and to ensure that more people around the world learn about this conflict and the suffering endured by the Chinese at the time," she added. Parade-goers waved the Chinese flag excitedly as massed choirs sang a patriotic, anti-Japanese anthem, pumping their fists in the air.
Military bands blasted their trumpets in unison as soldiers marched in the square.
In never-seen-before scenes, Xi was pictured shaking hands and chatting with Kim and Putin as they walked over for a group photo with the rest of the foreign leaders. Dressed in a dark grey Chinese-style suit, Xi stood in an open-topped black limousine as it drove by troops standing at attention along the wide Chang'an Avenue.
"Comrades, you are working hard!" he shouted repeatedly into four microphones, before joining his guests, including Putin and Kim, in a grandstand above the iconic portrait of Mao Zedong on Tiananmen. The ceremony took place in bright sunshine, with temperatures in the mid-30s, which proved difficult for many spectators who sweated profusely in the unshaded stands. Some who felt unwell left with the help of staff.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, one of Putin's staunch allies, was seen wearing a cap and sunglasses, while using a black electronic fan to keep cool. Intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), rocket launchers, and battle tanks were paraded past the dignitaries, and soldiers marched with precise, coordinated steps in tight formations.
The crowd whipped out their smartphones as a swarm of helicopters flew in formation over Tiananmen Square, forming the number "80" in the sky. "Oohs" and "Aahs" rippled through the audience when the gigantic DF-5C ICBM was unveiled, and again when tens of thousands of doves of peace were released into the sky.
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