Women Formation Pride of China's Military Parades

Women soldiers attending the upcoming high-profile military parade on September 3 are an interesting episode of the parade for the media from home and abroad.

On Saturday, more than 90 journalists from over 50 Chinese and foreign media visited Beijing's parade training base where Chinese troops are training for the parade in commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the WWII victory day.

A group of 62 women soldiers, with an average age of 22 and height of 175 cm, is a highlight at the training base.

According to Cheng Cheng, a female guard of honor, it is the first time that both male and female soldiers are included in the guard of honor (ground forces, air forces and navy) formation.

Cheng, 28-year-old, was in the 2009 National Day military parade. She said the mixed formation will increase difficulties for female soldiers.

"We're the first formation and will set the stride and speed for the rest of the paraders. So we certainly bear greater pressure. Also men have a bigger stature than women, so it's difficult for us to align with them," said Cheng.

To maintain a perfect quick step march, Cheng said, they have been training for more than eight hours per day since early June.

Cheng said every parade soldier is required to take a 3.25-kilo rifle in the morning and afternoon training. It can only be taken off at lunchtime.

Since only 51 of them will be picked finally to actually parade on Tian'anmen Square on Sept.3, all the women soldiers try their best to do well to get picked.

"Our physical strength is not so good as the male soldiers. We pay a lot to overcome this problem as the set standard for us women is as high as that for men," Cheng said.
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