Zhu Han, a 37-year-old teacher from the Central Academy of Drama, said he was thrilled to join the performance as a dancer playing a Chinese soldier.

A veteran of the stage since the age of 13, Zhu said the performance rekindled the intense national pride he felt after being part of a series of large-scale tributes previously, including those for the 90th anniversary of the CPC's founding and the 70th anniversary of victory in the World Anti-Fascist War.

He said the actors carried prop rifles－each weighing around 10 kilograms－as they dashed around performing battle scenes under the scorching sun during the rehearsals. It was a special experience that helped him understand Chinese troops' devotion to safeguarding the country, Zhu said.

Zhu is from Jiangxi province, the revolutionary cradle where the Party established its first rural revolutionary base and he said the show reminded him of the Red culture deeply rooted in his hometown.