Beijing has put on a grand evening gala of singing, dancing, and a series of fireworks illuminated the night sky in the capital's Tiananmen Square to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Chinese Communist Party's rule.
The extravagant celebration was attended by Chinese President Xi Jinping, who earlier in the day pledged peaceful development in the country.
A night show to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the founding of a nation is held at the Tiananmen Square in Beijing, China. Source: AAP
The colourful gala, featuring performers from ethnic minority groups in traditional costume, dancers and orchestral performances, was directed by Zhang Yimou, a well-known film director who also directed the opening ceremony for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Tuesday marks 70 years since Mao Zedong proclaimed the founding of the People's Republic of China from Tiananmen Square on 1 October, 1949.
Dancers celebrate in Tiananmen Square. Source: AAP
Earlier on Tuesday, China celebrated its wealth and rising might with a show of goose-stepping troops, gaudy floats and nuclear-capable missiles in a huge military parade through the capital.
The event is the country's most important of the year as it looks to project its assurance in the face of mounting challenges, including nearly four months of anti-government protests in Hong Kong and an economy-sapping trade war with the United States.
A night show to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the founding of a nation was held at the Tiananmen Square in Beijing. Source: AAP
The upheavals of the last seven decades - including the Great Leap Forward, the Cultural Revolution and bloody crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrators at Tiananmen Square in 1989 - did not get a mention.
