Grand evening gala performers aim for great show

Members who will take part in the grand evening gala celebrating the 70th anniversary of the People's Republic of China said they have been fully prepared and aim to deliver a perfect performance.

The gala is scheduled to start at 8 pm on Tuesday at Tian'anmen Square with theme performances, shows and fireworks, lasting around 90 minutes.

Huang Haiyan, deputy director of the performances department of the grand evening gala headquarters, said that 2,502 grassroots performers for the stage performance, part of the gala, have been gearing up for the coming celebration.

"Every participant has been practicing from early morning till late night while holding a 3.5-kilogram ball for more than 10 hours on a daily basis during the past four months. Many of them could barely pick up chopsticks during the first few days," she said.

With the youngest being 13 years old and the oldest 59, quite a few people fell ill due to the hot weather and the tough training. But not a single one of them chose to quit. They all cherished the opportunity so much to celebrate the country's 70th birthday with their own contribution, she added.

Liu Jiale, a senior student at the Shaolin Epo Wushu College in Dengfeng, Central China's Henan province, was more than thrilled because he would finally be able to realize the wish he made 10 years ago when he first came to Beijing with his mother to watch the military parade.

"I was too little then to remember the details, but I could still recall the excitement of seeing the soldiers, as well as the tanks and jets," the 19-year-old said, adding that he then had the thought to participate in the celebration when he grew up.

"With thousands of people performing on the stage at the same time, it's difficult to spot any single person. Although each of us is only responsible for a trivial task, we altogether will dedicate ourselves to a great show for our people and country, and I'm very proud to be part of it," he said.

Now with his dream soon coming true, he is looking forward to joining the military parade on the country’s 80th anniversary as a solider of the People's Liberation Army.