Many tourist spots, hotels, restaurants and shops in central Beijing had already been closed ahead of the celebrations planned for Thursday, which are expected to rival last year's Olympic opening ceremony. (See pictures of the making of modern China.)
The Forbidden City and the Great Hall of the People were shut along with many businesses located on Chang An, the major boulevard that runs east-west through the city, including the Raffles and Beijing hotels, supermarkets, Starbucks coffee shops, tiny mom-and-pop noodle stalls and tourist boutiques.
Armed pairs of helmeted SWAT police stood guard beside armored vehicles at many intersections along Chang An, while underground, subway riders passed through metal detectors and had their bags scanned. State media said most of the subway stations in the * area were to be closed late Wednesday or early Thursday.
A heavy fog lay over the city — threatening to diminish the planned fighter jet flyovers and fireworks display. The official Xinhua News Agency quoted Guo Hu, director of the Beijing Meteorological Station, as saying 18 planes were on standby to clear the air with cloud-seeding, which is believed to induce rain showers, if it was deemed necessary.
Similar actions were undertaken last year during the Olympic Games, when Beijing fired off 1,100 silver iodide rockets to disperse rain on the eve of the opening ceremony. Chinese officials claimed the rockets succeeded in holding off a rain belt that threatened to reach the capital and drench the ceremony. International scientists say there has never been proof that such methods produce results.
Rehearsals in the past few weeks have included jets and helicopters flying in formation over the city, releasing streams of red, blue and yellow smoke as they pass by.
Primarily a chance to showcase the country's might with a massive military parade, the celebrations are to include a "civilian parade" with about 100,000 people taking part and 60 floats. Tens of thousands of doves, 5,000 balloon-toting children and a chorus of thousands are to be part of the show, Xinhua said.
The scale of the event reflects strong nationalist feelings among many Chinese, who feel proud of the country's achievements since the People's Republic was founded in 1949 — a transformation from an impoverished, war-wracked country to an economic and diplomatic power.
Beijing resident Cui Jin, 65, said she felt the elaborate display of military power was an appropriate way to mark the anniversary.
"In the future, (our parades) should be even bigger," she said. "If we do not have a strong defense army or a very capable People's Army, how can we have peace and security?"
On Tuesday, at the north end of * Square, dozens of staff in purple uniforms helped set up chairs for the invite-only event.
"I participate, I contribute, thus I feel honored," said Zhang Xiaojing, one of those setting up the seats. "I wish wealth and prosperity for our great motherland."
Few other details have been given on the schedule for the celebrations, but a keynote address from President Hu Jintao is expected, followed by the two parades. Chinese filmmaker Zhang Yimou, who directed the opening and closing ceremonies for the Beijing Olympics, will oversee the evening fireworks display.
The English-language China Daily said Wednesday that the show would feature twice the amount of fireworks used in the Olympics opening gala and, in an earlier editorial, the paper promised that the celebrations would be the "most spectacular in our history."
About 30,000 people have been invited to watch in person, and the spectacle is expected to be broadcast live.
China has been ramping up security over the past few weeks ahead of the holiday, even banning the sale of knives at some stores including large retailers such as Wal-Mart and Carrefour. City residents have been barred from flying kites as a precaution against aerial hazards, and those who live in the diplomatic apartments that line the parade route have been told not open their windows or go out on their balconies to watch.
Authorities plan to ground flights into and out of Beijing for three hours during the parade on Oct. 1, according to state media, restrictions similar to ones put in place for last year's Beijing Olympics.
许多旅游景点，酒店，餐馆和商店在北京市中心已提前关闭，星期四，预计竞争对手去年的奥运会开幕式策划的庆祝活动。
（见近代中国制造的照片。）
紫禁城和人民大会堂一起被关在位于长安街许多企业的主要大道上运行的东西全城，包括莱佛士，北京酒店，超市，星巴克咖啡店，小妈妈和流行面档和旅游精品。
头戴钢盔的特勤警察的武装对站在旁边的装甲车守卫在长江沿岸的许多路口，地下，地铁乘客通过金属探测器，并获得他们的行李进行扫描。国营媒体说，在*地区的大部分地铁站被关闭，周三晚或周四早。
阿浓雾平息城市-减少威胁计划战斗机天桥和烟花汇演。官方新华社引述18架飞机处于待命状态，以明确与云的空中播种，这被认为是诱发阵雨，如果认为有必要过核，北京气象台台长。
开展了类似的行动，去年奥运会期间，当北京施放出对开幕前夕1100碘化银的火箭，驱散雨。中国官员称，举办过一雨带威胁，达到资本和淋仪式成功的火箭。国际科学家们从未有过的证明，这种方法产生的结果。
在过去的几个星期排练包括战斗机和直升机编队飞行在城市上空，释放出红色，蓝色和黄色烟雾流，因为他们擦肩而过。
主要是一个大规模军事游行的机会，以展示该国的可能，庆祝活动将包括：大约10万人参加的花车和60个“平民游行”。成千上万的鸽子，5000气球拿着孩子和一个合唱团的数千数万成为节目的一部分，新华社说。
这次会议的规模体现了强烈的民族主义情绪许多华人，因为谁感到中华人民共和国国家所取得的成就感到自豪于1949年成立-从一个饱受战争摧残的国家转变为一个经济和外交力量。
北京居民崔圾嗯，65岁，她说她感受到了详细显示军事实力是一个适当的方式庆祝活动。
“将来，（我们的游行）应该会更大，”她说。 “如果我们没有强大的国防军队或一个很能干的人民军队，怎样才能有和平与安全？”
周二，在*广场，在紫色制服的数十名工作人员协助设立邀请参加的活动，椅子北端。
“我参与，我奉献，我感到荣幸，因此说，”张晓静，设立的一个席位。 “我祝愿我们伟大祖国的财富和繁荣。”
很少有其他详情已刊载于庆祝活动的时间表，但胡锦涛主席的演讲，预计，两个游行之后。中国导演张艺谋，谁导演的开幕及北京奥运会闭幕式上，将监督晚上烟花汇演。
英文的中国日报说，今天这个节目将包括两次在奥运会的开幕式晚会使用的烟花数量，并在早些时候社论，文件承诺，庆祝活动将是“历史上最壮观的。”
约30,000人被邀请观看的人，而且场面预计将现场直播。
中国一直在提高，在过去提前几个星期的假期安全，甚至禁止一些包括大型零售商，如沃尔玛和家乐福销售的刀。市居民被禁止飞行，作为预防措施，对空中危险风筝，以及谁在该行的游行路线已被告知不要打开窗户或阳台继续进行其外交公寓观看直播。
当局计划在3个小时地在10月1日游行进出北京的航班，据官方媒体报道，类似的限制，在实施去年的北京奥运会的。 |
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