A stunning drone light show illuminated the night sky over Changchun City of northeast China's Jilin Province on Monday as part of the warm-up celebrations for the upcoming 77th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force on Nov.11.
A formation of 3,000 drones took to the night sky, weaving a tapestry of light and shadow that retraced the 77-year heroic journey of the PLA Air Force. The aerial display vividly depicted historical milestones, starting from the warplanes flying over the Tian'anmen Square to celebrate the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, to fierce aerial battles during the War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea in the 1950s. It concluded with modern state-of-the-art battle formations of the new era.
The spectacle also showcased dynamic formations of China's homegrown aircraft, including the JH-7 fighter-bombers, J-10 jets, J-20 stealth fighters and Y-20 heavy transport aircraft.
The displays highlighted the air force's leap-forward development from its arduous explorations in the early days to self-reliance and strengthening, and from catching up to leading the way.
Drone light show marks 77th founding anniversary of PLA Air Force
In Shenzhen, a city at the forefront of China's low-altitude economy ambitions, even ordering a cold drink can turn into a test of technological prowess and a window into how unmanned aerial vehicles are beginning to reshape urban logistics.
At Talent Park, an unusual vending machine delivers orders by drone, part of the southern Chinese tech hub's expanding experiment with unmanned aerial delivery.
China Global Television Network (CGTN) Travelogue hosts Alex McCutcheon and Jack Klumpp decided to put the technology to the test against the city's famously fast scooter-riding couriers, ordering drinks from the same shop to see which would arrive first.
Alex is convinced this new technology can beat traditional delivery riders, but Jack isn't so sure. After all, Shenzhen's scooter-riding delivery workers are known for their speed.
The race revealed just how efficient drone delivery can be in certain settings, underscoring Shenzhen's push to commercialize low-altitude technology across logistics, retail and urban services.
The city has become a testing ground for drone delivery networks, with companies operating routes to parks, office towers and residential compounds.
But the experiment also highlighted the limits of the technology. While drones may have the edge in places like parks, where finding a customer can be tricky, they still face practical constraints from payload capacity and weather to regulatory approvals and landing infrastructure.
For now, the drone-versus-rider race offers a glimpse of what is possible and a taste of how Shenzhen is experimenting with new ways to move goods through the skies, as China accelerates its push into the low-altitude economy.
Shenzhen's drone delivery push offers glimpse of low-altitude economy's potential
