A Great Nation's Grandeur: National Day and Military Anniversary Celebrations and Parades

This book tells the story of a great power’s majesty: grand celebrations and military parades held for National Day and anniversaries of the armed forces. It covers the tenth-anniversary National Day celebration: a ceremony marks the tenth anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic; Mayor Peng Zhen reads the opening address; the Minister of National Defense reads out an order from the Ministry of National Defense; the army, navy, and air force march in review; and crowds pass before Tiananmen. It also covers the 35th-anniversary celebration: a grand ceremony is held in Tiananmen Square; national leaders ascend Tiananmen Gate; Deng Xiaoping reviews the troops accompanied by Qin Jiwei; the PLA marches in review; and parade participants pass through Tiananmen Square. For the 50th-anniversary National Day celebration, a grand ceremony marks the 50th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic; national leaders ascend Tiananmen Gate; Jiang Zemin reviews the troops accompanied by Li Xinliang; marching formations stride into the new century; mechanized formations roll past Tiananmen; aerial formations put on a spectacular display; and a mass procession follows the troops on parade. It covers the navy’s 60th-anniversary celebration: the Chinese military announces a naval anniversary event; navies from several countries visit China to take part; Hu Jintao reviews the Chinese navy aboard a ship; and Hu Jintao reviews fleets from around the world. Finally, it covers the 60th-anniversary National Day celebration: the festivities begin; Hu Jintao reviews the ground formations from a car; he delivers a speech at Tiananmen; the troops march in review with thunderous force; armored vehicles roll past in a surging steel formation; aircraft fly over Tiananmen Square; and crowds sing and dance as they celebrate National Day.