Beijing parks join in holiday festivities

• Source: Chinadaily.com.cn
• [09:54 September 17 2009]
• Comments

Parade-watching

People are expected to line up along 56 blocks to watch the grand parade that will celebrate the 60th anniversary of New China on Oct 1. The festivities also include 14 marching squares, 30 weapon blocks and 12 echelons flying over the Tian'anmen Square, according to the Ministry of National Defense.

Weapons to be displayed include early-warning aircrafts, unmanned aircrafts, new radars and chariots, as well as satellite communication devices. All of these were manufactured in China, Fang Fenghui, commander-in-chief of the parade, was quoted as saying by the ministry's official website yesterday.

In giving this report, authorities unveiled the scale of weapons in the parade for the first time.

The 56 blocks represent the 56 ethnic groups in the country, Fang said. Compared with the parade in 1999 during the celebration of New China's 50th birthday, this year's parade has less marching blocks but more weapon blocks, and less land army blocks but more blocks from other military branches such as the navy, air force and artillery, he said.