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Beijing roads to close for parade rehearsals

Zhao Yinan
Updated: Aug 13,2015 7:57 AM     China Daily

Beijing will shut down roads and close metro stations on Aug 13 and 15 for night rehearsals for a parade next month marking victory in the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression (1937-45).

Rehearsals for the memorial ceremony, which includes a military parade, will beheld on Aug 13 and 15, between 10:30 pm and 4 am, according to a notice posted online by the city’s public security authorities.

Streets around Tian’anmen Square and Chang’an Avenue, where soldiers and military equipment will pass for inspection by State leaders, will be closed during the rehearsals. Night parking will also be banned on several other roads in the area. Vehicles can only enter the rehearsal area with a permit.

Five metro stations along Chang’an Avenue, including Jianguomen, Dongdan, Wangfujing, Tian’anmen East and Tian’anmen West, will be closed to the public from 11 pm until early in the morning both days.

No details about the rehearsals have been released so far by the authorities, but cutting-edge Chinese military equipment in active service is expected to be displayed during the ceremony.

It will also be President Xi Jinping’s first parade inspection in his capacity as head of State.

During the celebrations, Xi will deliver a speech and award medals to veterans, as well as to family members of those who have died, according to Xinhua News Agency.

As the parade draws near, stricter traffic controls will be applied in the capital. About half the vehicles in the city will be banned from the road from Aug 20 to Sept 3, based on an even-and odd-numbered license plate plan, as part of the capital’s efforts to ensure blue skies for the ceremony.

In addition, more than 1,300 construction sites will be asked to shut down, and work in industries such as petrochemicals, construction materials and industrial painting will be suspended.

Primary schools and high schools are being asked by local education authorities to postpone their openings until Sept 7, a week later than usual. Universities in Beijing will open after Sept 7 to reduce traffic burdens.