In pictures: Pomp, pageantry, prowess at China's military parade

BEIJING: Cheers and gasps could be heard around Beijing on Wednesday as China's capital lit up with pomp, pageantry and patriotism for a massive parade showcasing the country's latest military hardware — marking the victory of China in the World Anti-Fascist War.

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.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, flanked by Russia's Vladimir Putin and North Korea's Kim Jong Un, termed the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation "unstoppable" as he warned warned the world was facing a choice between peace or war.

During the parade, President Xi inspected the massed troops and weaponry from an open-topped limousine down Beijing's vast Changan Avenue before turning back to join his guests in a seating area above the iconic portrait of Mao Zedong on Tiananmen, the entrance gate of the historic Forbidden City.

China's huge collection of military vehicles and heavy weapons rolled past the dignitaries, while images of thousands of servicemen and women in immaculate uniforms marching in tight ranks and soldiers jumping in and out of vehicles were shown in a slick state media broadcast.

Beijing residents went out into the streets to catch a glimpse of a spectacular flypast involving scores of warplanes and helicopters, some making an "80" formation.