The grand September 3rd military parade is about to commence, and on the afternoon of the 20th, the parade training ground in the remote Changping district of Beijing was opened, allowing foreign media an early 'sneak peek.' Under the scorching sun, hundreds of officers and soldiers from the tri-service honor guard, peacekeeping units, militia units, as well as the joint military band, demonstrated their intense training regimen.
According to Sing Tao Daily, they were dressed in sharp military uniforms, training in units by formation, performing 'six-line alignment' movements (head line, hand line, rifle line, leg line, chest line, and cap line) with great vigor and discipline. The slightly hoarse voices of drill instructors rang out repeatedly, demanding that every action and facial expression of the parade soldiers be flawless.
This time, the tri-service honor guard appeared with Type 191 rifles. When asked whether there would be any differences in training movements compared to the previously used 'Type 95' rifles during past parades, Captain Wang Ranran of the PLA Ceremonial Honor Guard stated, 'For us, by conducting scientific training, all of it can be overcome, and high-standard performance of the movements can be achieved.'
This summer, Beijing has experienced exceptionally hot weather. Today, with temperatures above 30 degrees Celsius, even reporters wearing short-sleeved shirts were soaked in sweat. It is hard to imagine the level of physical challenge faced by the soldiers on site. Regarding this, Wang Ranran mentioned, there's a saying: 'Train in the coldest of winter and the hottest of summer.' 'The sweltering summer days are the best season for training troops. The soldiers are in high spirits, and the training atmosphere is very enthusiastic.'
The public performance of the PLA Joint Military Band was a highlight of this 'sneak peek.' Band leader Huang Yanhui indicated that this was the 18th formation of a joint military band by the PLA, and both traditional pieces and newly composed works would be presented one by one. The band performed three pieces that will be played during the September 3rd parade: 'Glorious Departure,' 'Steel Torrent March,' and 'The People's Army Is Loyal to the Party.'
The PLA honor guard dormitories were also opened for reporter visits. Inside the dorms, not only were the bedclothes made into standard 'tofu squares,' but clothing and personal belongings were also arranged neatly and uniformly. Each soldier's wardrobe contained their dress uniform, standard service uniform, and camouflage uniform, all placed in the same order, while boots were neatly stored under the bed.