Media staff take photos at Beijing's Military Parade Village Thursday when it opened its gates to foreign media for the first time on Thursday, September 10, 2009. [Photo: CFP]
Beijing's Military Parade Village opened its gates to foreign media for the first time on Thursday.
More than 30 media organizations from 17 countries were shown around the village, catching a glimpse of the training field, logistic base, and living facilities etc.
Toby Marshall is a journalist from the German Television ZDF.
"You see the discipline from the soldiers and the work they put into the training for the parade. And it's all very impressive. The village is nicely done and well organized. The food preparation looks very good. Everything seems to be very well thought-out in terms of thinking about the wealth of the soldiers."
For the past four months, the village has been home to military troops preparing to march for China's 60th National Day celebrations.
Masood Sattar Khan, a journalist of the Associated Press of Pakistan, highly praised China's move to open the training to the media.
"I think this kind of opening up would remove any doubt and mindset that China is hiding something, especially spending on military."
The National Day parade, planned for October 1, has attracted attention from around the world.
The village, situated in Beijing's Changping district, was previously used by troops preparing for the 50th National Day parade in 1999.
A foreign media staffer takes photos of a soldier at Beijing's Military Parade Village Thursday, September 10, 2009. [Photo: CFP]
