Second parade test run
The second rehearsal for the National Day parade marking the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China will be held late tomorrow night in Beijing.
Authorities have announced tight security measures and massive traffic restrictions for the rehearsal, which will virtually bring the busiest shopping streets and tourist areas in central Beijing to a standstill during the weekend.
It will begin at midnight and last about three hours. Although Xinhua gave little detail, it said most city centre streets and the eastern part would be closed to the public tomorrow.
It said security and traffic control would extend to more areas tomorrow than in the first rehearsal last Saturday. The Forbidden City and other main attractions near Tiananmen Square would be off-limits, while the city's busiest subway along Changan Avenue, where some of the city's famous shopping districts were located, would close to the public from early Saturday evening. The restrictions are expected to be lifted on Sunday morning.
It did not say whether the rehearsal would include a full-scale and much-anticipated military parade.
More than 200,000 people were involved in last weekend's rehearsal, which went smoothly.
