Lockdown In Beijing For Parade Rehearsal

The centre of Beijing was under lockdown early on Sunday for a nighttime parade rehearsal by the military which is preparing for October 1 ceremonies to mark the People's Republic's 70th anniversary.

The enormous Avenue of Eternal Peace, which leads to Tiananmen Square and runs east-west, was closed to traffic for about a dozen kilometres to allow troops to parade around Tiananmen Square, where Mao Zedong in 1949 proclaimed the founding of the People's Republic of China.

The official news agency Xinhua said about 90,000 people were "involved in the rehearsal and related supporting services", and organisers said the run-through "reached the expected results".

Areas around the Avenue of Eternal Peace were gradually closed to traffic from late on Saturday afternoon and were expected to stay off limits until Sunday morning, causing traffic jams.

Security forces blocked access to residences with views of the avenue, ordering several foreign media outlets in the area to leave their offices for the weekend.

"We warmly celebrate the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China," proclaimed immense signs being transported by trucks heading towards Tiananmen Square.

Other rehearsals are expected each weekend leading up to October 1, leaving residents facing the same restrictions, a guard said. (AFP)