Chinese military planes trail colored smoke as they fly in formation above the city center in Beijing on Sunday. They were rehearsing for a military parade on October 1 to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. Photo: AP
Beijing residents got a sneak peek at China's upcoming National Day parade on October 1, as aircraft formations conducted a rehearsal above the city's downtown on Sunday morning.
According to a video released on the Sina Weibo account of the People's Daily, a KJ-2000 early warning aircraft led eight J-10 fighter jets from the Bayi Aerobatic Team, which dragged plumes of red, blue, yellow and green.
Photos and videos taken by military enthusiasts and ordinary Beijing residents, and circulated on Chinese social media, show other participating aircraft including an echelon of five J-20 stealth fighter jets and helicopters flying in formation to form the number of 70, in honor of the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China (PRC).
Y-20 large transport planes, J-15 aircraft carrier-based fighter jets and Z-10 attack helicopters were also seen above Beijing.
"I am really happy to see the rehearsal. The aircraft and the 'rainbow' it dragged were wonderful," a Beijing resident surnamed Wang told the Global Times on Sunday.
"I'm really proud of my country and its development over the past decades. I'm looking forward to the actual parade on October 1," she said.
The photos and videos went viral. The Sina Weibo post by the People's Daily gained 20,000 likes in only about two hours.
"My adrenalin was pumping. Go China!!!" reads a typical comment by net users.
Other netizens recalled the founding ceremony held on October 1, 1949, when Zhou Enlai, the first premier of the PRC, asked warplanes to fly over Tiananmen Square twice because of their limited number, according to China Youth Daily.
"There are as many warplanes as you want now." "This flourishing age must be what you have envisioned back then, premier Zhou," were typical comments that received a lot of 'likes' on social media.
There have been two other rehearsals in downtown Beijing, which took place over the previous two weekends, but aircraft formations did not attract as much attention as they did on Sunday.
