Beijing authorities closed some roads around the Tiananmen Square area starting Sept. 1, in preparation for the V-J Day parade on Sept. 3. (Photo : www.echinacities.com)
Authorities in Beijing are set to enforce stricter traffic and security measures starting Sept. 1, in preparation for the holding of the Sept. 3 military parade commemorating the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II, the Global Times reported.
According to a statement released on Friday, Aug. 28, by the Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau, several subway stations on Beijing's 10 subway lines will be shut down on Sept. 2 and 3, while the operations of Line 1, which passes through Tiananmen Square, will be suspended between 10 p.m. on Sept. 2 and 1 p.m. on Sept. 3.
From Sept. 1 until the end of the parade, vehicles will not be allowed to pass through roads near Tiananmen Square, as well as make use of the parking spaces in the areas.
The report also said that visits to the rostrum of Tiananmen Gate, the historic site where the late leader Mao Zedong declared the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, has been suspended until Sept. 3. The Forbidden City and National Museum, including other parks and museums located near the square, will also be closed until Sept. 3.
The statement said that security searches will be conducted at the Beijing Zoo and eleven other parks located further away from the square between Sept. 1 and 5. Visitors will not be allowed to carry lighters, knives and other flammable chemicals.
From 12 p.m. on Sept. 2 until the end of the parade, business activities in five major commercial roads, including Wangfujing Street and Xidan Street, will be suspended.
During the rehearsal on Aug. 23, similar traffic control measures have been implemented, the report said.
Residents near the areas cordoned off along Tiananmen Square will also have to undergo inspections before being allowed inside.
The report said that people who sent mail or packages to Beijing from Aug. 20 to Sept. 5 were asked to provide their ID card information, while gasoline stations near Chang'an Avenue, where the parade will be held, will be closed on Sept. 3.
Specific measures to control air pollution will also be implemented by Beijing, which include suspending the operations of 1,927 factories and work at 453 construction sites. Urban management authorities have also prohibited outdoor barbecues.
On Thursday, Aug. 27, the Beijing Municipal Environmental Protection Bureau ordered the China Resources Snow Breweries in Beijing to stop operations after it was found releasing excessive amounts of nitric oxide.
