Military parade reflects growth of PLA

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Thirteen military parades have been staged since the founding of the People's Republic. Through the years, they've followed a consistent format. The first parade laid the foundation for the basic composition. And the theme of national pride and unity has never changed.

A nation's birth and its proud declaration to the world.

The very first collective display of the young republic's army, navy and air force was a huge confidence boost for the entire nation.

Everything was carefully planned.

The decision to stage the military parade was made by the very first Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. The basic format of the parade was also decided at the same conference. The parade would be carried out in two parts. First, senior military leaders would review the troops standing in front of the Tiananmen Rostrum. Then, the troops would march past the Tiananmen rostrum in square formations to be reviewed by the founding fathers of the nation.

The great moment came at 3 pm on October 1st.

Accompanied by general Nie Rongzheng, the PLA Commander-in-Chief Zhu De reviewed the 16,000-strong troop formations that lined up in high spirits.

The Chinese Navy led the parade on that day. Being the newest addition to the PLA, the navy's debut showed the world that China's defense ability was becoming more diverse.

The parade reached its climax when 17 fighter jets flew over Tiananmen Square. In addition to taking part in celebrations, the planes were also safeguarding the airspace of the capital during the parade. 4 fighter jets carried live bombs, a rare occurrence in world military parades.

The ground troops in the parade were the elite combative forces of the North China Military Area Command. They returned from the battlefield just two months before the celebrations. Most of their equipment, including tanks, canons, and armed vehicles, were brought directly from the battle field. This was the PLA's first tank, seized from the invading Japanese military in 1945.

From 1949 to 1959, the national day military parade was staged every year, chronicling the rapid growth of the PLA and the country's defense capabilities. These parades followed the basic format of the first parade. During those 10 years, the components of the PLA had become more diversified and its equipment had been upgraded.