Reduction in pollution
More than 12,200 coal-fired boilers and factories in polluting industries, such as thermal power plants, companies in the iron and steel, cement making, glass m and chemical industries suspended production on Aug 28 for eight days to help create good air quality for the Sept 3 military parade. Restrictions cover Beijing and six surrounding areas － Tianjin, Hebei, Shandong, Shanxi, Henan provinces and the Inner Mongolia autonomous region.
From Aug 20 almost half of all vehicles are banned from roads based on even-and odd-numbered license plates. Some 80 percent of government and public institute vehicles will be taken off the road except electric vehicles, buses, taxis and ambulances.
More than 1,300 construction sites and petrochemical, construction materials, industrial painting, printing and furniture making are restricted. [Special coverage]
Decorations
Chang'an Avenue, as the main road for the parade, has been decorated with flower beds together with patterns and light installations set along the route.
Temporary stands for spectators were installed on the sides of Chang'an Avenue on Aug 18.
There are 129 public toilets with 2,390 seats around Tian'anmen Square with many mobile toilets installed in preparation for the parade. About 24 people will share each seat based on the estimated number of visitors on parade day.
Some 58 main roads on or near the parade route will be cleaned and 22 cleaning vehicles will tidy the main road on Sept 3 to reduce dust after the parade has passed by.
National flags have been hung on all buildings in downtown Beijing from Sept 1 to 5 to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II.
Clearing the main area
Scenic spots around Tian'anmen Square and Chang'an Avenue, such as the Palace Museum, National Museum of China, Chairman Mao Memorial Hall, Tian'anmen Rostrum and the National Center for the Performing Arts have been closed for more than 10 days during preparations for the parade.
Main areas for the parade and major roads are restricted for people and vehicles without special admission tickets from Sept 1 to 3.
Clearing the sky
Major online shopping platforms have been told to stop selling unmanned aerial vehicles until Friday. Model aircraft owners have been banned from flying their planes for sports, entertainment and advertising campaigns within 300 kilometers of Tian'anmen Square from Aug 22 until Sept 4.
Beijing Capital International Airport and Nanyuan Airport will close from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm on Sept 3, with no arrivals or departures allowed
Flights of hot air balloons, gliders and parachutes are banned until Sept 4.
Macaques, saker falcons and harriers have been trained to disperse birds at an air force station in Beijing to ensure 10 air echelons for the parade fly without the risk of bird strikes.
Official holiday
Sept 3 has been officially announced as a national holiday so that people can stay at home to watch live reporting of the parade.
Primary and middle schools in Beijing are closed until Sept 7. It has been suggested that colleges and universities also remain closed until this date.
TV
From Sept 1, TV stations have been broadcasting more programs or period dramas with the theme of the 70th anniversary of War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression. Many entertainment programs have been suspended to be replaced by parade reporting.
Special amnesty
China's top legislature has adopted a prisoner amnesty deal which will see thousands of war veterans as well as very old, young or infirm prisoners granted official pardons, in a move marking the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II.
The deal, promulgated by President Xi Jinping, comes 40 years after China granted an amnesty to war criminals in 1975, and 56 years after it granted its first pardon to non-war criminals in 1959.
This is the eighth amnesty since the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949.
Extra security force
Beijing has mobilized 850,000 residents to serve as volunteers and another 400,000 as traffic wardens to help police ensure security during the parade.
Volunteers wearing red hats and red armbands can be seen sitting on camp chairs at every 100-meter-section of the North Road of the East 3rd Ring in Chaoyang district.
