Residents wave national flags and watch aerial formations fly overhead during the commemorations marking the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War began in front of the Temple of Heaven in Beijing on September 3, 2025. Photo: Li Hao/GT

From gazing up at aircraft with national flags in their hands, to people in multiple ethnic autonomous regions and special administrative regions gathering to watch the V-Day commemorations livestream, Chinese people across the nation celebrated the commemorations of the 80th anniversary of victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War on Wednesday with cheers, tears and pride. 

In Beijing, residents gathered at major landmarks early on Wednesday morning to share the historic moment. "All Beijing citizens, look up!" became a new buzzword online, with many people gathered to watch the aircraft streak overhead.

At the Temple of Heaven, Global Times reporters saw photography enthusiasts setting up near the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests early on, ready to capture the moment when planes and helicopters flew over the ancient structure. Many tourists held national flags and children wore red scarves, singing the patriotic Chinese song "Ode to the Motherland." 

After the military parade concluded, Beijing residents poured onto the streets, hoping to catch a glimpse of the parade equipment as it withdrew from the city center. A video circulating on Xiaohongshu showed the military hardware fresh from the parade pulling out amid cheers from the crowd. The sound of the public's applause was clearly heard in the footage, and soldiers riding in the vehicles sounded their horns in response.

Additional clips captured soldiers on buses waving greetings to the people by the roadside. One netizen commented, "This is the finest embodiment of the profound bond between the military and the people."

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government held a ceremony on Wednesday at the Hong Kong City Hall Memorial Garden to commemorate the 80th anniversary of victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, according to a statement released by the HKSAR government. The Macao Special Administrative Region (MSAR) government also held events so people could watch live broadcasts of the commemorations at Macao Polytechnic University and the University of Macau, the MSAR government said.

Across China, people joined together to witness this historic moment in diverse ways.

In Southwest China's Yunnan Province, people from 25 ethnic minority groups, including the Yi, Dai, and Bai ethnic groups, gathered to watch the livestream of the parade. Dressed in their traditional ethnic attire, they sang the national anthem together, the Kunming-based Spring City Evening News reported.

Global Times reporters also saw that staff and passengers at Zhaosu Tianma Airport in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region gather in the departure hall to watch the live broadcast of the V-Day commemorations. Xu Xiaoming, a security officer at the airport, described the parade as "overwhelming and moving," noting that the precise formations and advanced weaponry showcased the country's strength and sparked a profound sense of pride and emotion of him.

A resident from Qingdao, East China's Shandong Province surnamed Ren told the Global Times that she had often seen reports of China's achievements in the news, but witnessing them firsthand was a completely different experience. "The parade brought tears to my eyes. These were not sadness, but a surge of excitement and emotion," she said.

Lin Zihan, a teacher from a primary school in Fuzhou, East China's Fujian Province, told the Global Times that "watching the parade was a profound patriotic education lesson, it helps children better understand the connection between history and the present." 

In Shenyang - a city in Northeast China's Liaoning Province and the site of the September 18 Incident - local people from all walks of life watched the military parade through various means. At Shenyang Aircraft Design Institute under the state-owned Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), when researchers watched the V-Day ceremony and saw the fighter jets co-developed by the institute fly over Tiananmen Square, pride and joy were shown on everyone's faces, chinanews.com reported. Zhao Zhigang, a young designer who participated in the R&D process, said he felt a heavy sense of responsibility on his shoulders and would work even harder in the future, according to the report.

On Sina Weibo, more than 50 commemoration-related topics, including those discussing the new advanced weaponry and equipment on display, resonated deeply with netizens. 

Discussions about the new-type DF-5C liquid-fueled intercontinental strategic nuclear missile that featured in the military parade, which said that "it has the entire globe under its strike range" was one of the hottest topics. By 8 pm, related hashtags had been seen over 380 million times and had 197,000 comments.

One viral comment read, "Who understands the weight of the phrase 'has the entire globe covered?'" which earned 39,000 likes. Another netizen expressed, "My heart swells with pride. We cherish the peace earned by our predecessors and must keep striving for self-improvement."