Star Metro - Pomp, pageantry, prowess at Beijing's military parade

Members of the public gripping Chinese flags lined the streets for the morning spectacle, while the few thousand who had tickets gathered from the crack of dawn in Tiananmen Square.

"This is the first time I'm attending a military parade. It's magnificent to be here," Jenny Wang, a 24-year-old civil servant, told AFP of President Xi Jinping's show of force to the world.

"It's important to commemorate the end of this war and to ensure that more people around the world learn about this conflict and the suffering endured by the Chinese at the time," she added.

Guests posed with wide smiles for photos with their parade invitations against the backdrop of Tiananmen, the entrance gate of the historic Forbidden City, which was adorned with national flags of China.

Giant, golden numerals "1945" and "2025" were erected on the square, a reminder of the 80 years that had passed since the end of World War II, as well as thousands of red and green seats set up for the occasion.

Parade-goers sang along as massed choirs belted out a patriotic, anti-Japanese anthem, pumping their fists in the air.

Military bands blasted their trumpets in unison as soldiers marched in the square.

- 'Comrades... working hard!' -

In never-seen-before scenes, Xi was pictured shaking hands and chatting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russia's Vladimir Putin as they walked over for a group photo with other foreign leaders.

Dressed in a dark grey Chinese-style suit, Xi stood in an open-topped black limousine as it drove by troops standing at attention along the wide Chang'an Avenue.

"Comrades, you are working hard!" he shouted repeatedly into four microphones, before joining his guests in a grandstand above the iconic portrait of Mao Zedong on Tiananmen.

The ceremony took place in bright sunshine, with temperatures in the mid-30s, which proved difficult for many spectators who sweated profusely in the unshaded stands. Some who felt unwell left with the help of staff.

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko -- one of Putin's staunch allies -- was seen wearing a cap and sunglasses, while using a black electronic fan to keep cool.

Intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), rocket launchers, and battle tanks were paraded past the dignitaries, and soldiers marched with precise, coordinated steps in tight formations.

The crowd whipped out their smartphones as a swarm of helicopters flew in formation over Tiananmen Square, forming the number "80" in the sky.

"Oohs" and "Aahs" rippled through the audience when the gigantic DF-5C ICBM was unveiled, and again when tens of thousands of doves of peace were released into the sky.

- National pride -

Chinese flags lined the streets of Beijing, which was significantly quieter than usual because of road closures.

A sense of excitement was palpable in the capital even after the parade had ended, with Beijingers saying that they were proud of China's grand display of power.

Sun Jianhua, 54, told AFP that she had watched the event at home from start to finish.

"The pride and honour I feel is indescribable," the Beijing resident gushed.

"We sacrificed so much (during the war), we paid such a heavy price. Now that there's peace, we should all cherish this era."

Meanwhile, others said that they felt China had become "isolated" as only leaders from 26 countries attended the event, with no leaders from major Western nations.

"Their decision to befriend China, to be frank, is also out of helplessness," the 50-year-old added.

He said that leaders from major Western nations had not attended due to "envy".

"I hope that China can become friendly with other countries, and that they won't be jealous."

A.Bergeron--SMC