About 12,000 servicemen and women, World War II veterans and their families assembled around Beijing's Tian'anmen Square Thursday morning, ready for the V-Day parade. [Special coverage]
It will be China's first military parade to mark the anniversary of the end of WWII and the victory of the war of resistance against Japanese aggression, and the first with foreign military participation in Beijing. China had held 14 military parades since 1949, all marking the founding of the People's Republic on Oct. 1.
Under the clear sky of an early Autumn morning, fresh parterres and colorful flags adorn the largest city square in the world. The parterre in the shape of the Great Wall dominates the scene, supporting two huge scarlet numbers, 1945 and 2015.
More than 40,000 spectators, including Chinese officials, citizens and foreign guests, are seated on bleachers beside the Tian'anmen Rostrum along Chang'an Avenue.
Nearly 200 aircraft to perform in the parade stand by at nearby airports in north China.
