A 1000-strong military band, comprising members from all services of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA), is undergoing intensive training in Beijing ahead of a grand military parade on September 3, aiming to deliver a powerful and moving tribute on the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War.
The parade, set to take place in the iconic Tian'anmen Square, will honor the heroic legacy of the 14-year War of Resistance and showcase the strength and unity of modern China.
The joint military band will perform a carefully curated repertoire that blends wartime classics with newly composed military marches. The music is designed to evoke the nation's historic struggle, and pay tribute to fallen heroes.
Achieving perfect synchronization among more than 1,000 musicians is a huge challenge. To ensure flawless execution, the band is training in a phased approach -- individual practice, section rehearsals, and full ensemble sessions -- with special focus on alignment, seamless transitions between pieces, and consistency in performance.
"Since this is a huge joint military band with over 1,000 members, achieving perfect unison in movement and pitch accuracy is extremely challenging. It requires a long time of extensive rehearsal to strengthen the members' 'muscle memory' and 'sectional cohesion', fostering a unified team spirit across the entire group. This will ensure a spectacular performance during the parade and deliver the best possible effect," said Cheng Yuanwen, the band's chief conductor.
One of the highlights of the parade will be the 20 female snare drummers in the band's front row. As the symbolic "face" of the band, they will stand tall and perform with precision to showcase the strength, discipline, and pride of Chinese service members.
"It is our honor to stand in the front row during the military parade. To ensure a perfect performance, we practice thousands of drumbeats every day. It's tough, but whenever I think of the upcoming parade, I feel all the hard work is truly worth it," said Niu Qingqing, one of the drummers.
To create a stirring audiovisual experience that will resonate across the nation and around the world, the band has carefully arranged a repertoire that balances ceremonial solemnity with artistic expression.
Iconic wartime songs such as "Along the Songhua River" and "The Yellow River Cantata" will be played to honor fallen heroes and deepen the sense of remembrance and reverence. Meanwhile, newly composed pieces will highlight the modern image of the PLA confidently advancing into the new era.
"The repertoire design for this parade is exceptionally well-coordinated. When the powerful notes of 'The March of the Steel Torrent' rang out and the battle flag formations marched forward during the rehearsal, my eyes instantly welled up with tears, and I was overwhelmed with emotion. Behind every battle flag are countless heroic fighters. At that moment, history and the present seemed to converge. I could almost feel the relieved gaze of the fallen heroes upon seeing our nation's prosperity and strength. The music we played felt like a solemn vow we have made to build a strong military for our country," said Zhou Lei, a clarinet player in the band.
Symbolism is deeply embedded in the band's formation. The entire ensemble is arranged into 14 rows, representing the 14 years of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression. At the front, 80 ceremonial horn players are positioned to mark the 80th anniversary of the victory.
"This commemorative event has fully drawn on the experience of military parades in the past. In terms of formation design and musical composition, it emphasizes both the solemnity of the event and the characteristics of the times. While preserving some traditional pieces, it also features several newly composed works, striving to enhance the grandeur of the occasion and deliver a powerful, awe-inspiring effect during the parade," said Huang Yanhui, commander of the joint military band.
PLA military band trains for performance at upcoming V-Day parade
