First rehearsal held for war anniversary event

The first comprehensive rehearsal for the upcoming grand gathering to mark the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War was staged over the weekend in Beijing, according to the event's media center. The rehearsal, held from Saturday night to early Sunday morning in Tian'anmen Square, involved about 22,000 participants, including those taking part in the rehearsal and personnel providing on-site support. The grand gathering, which will include a military parade, is scheduled for the morning of Sept 3 in Tian'anmen Square.

Yuyuan Garden kicks off public night tours

The 466-year-old Yuyuan Garden in Shanghai launched its inaugural public night tours on Friday, according to the garden management office. The night tours combine modern lighting, dynamic projections and mapping shows with classical garden art, revitalizing the garden's cultural legacy. They also feature a special exhibition of rarely displayed Shanghai-style calligraphy and painting, enhanced by digital technology bringing scenes to life. The Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) garden, which has been a nationally protected cultural site since 1982, is renowned as "the finest garden in southeast China".

11 satellites carried into orbit from sea

A Smart Dragon 3 rocket lifted off on Saturday morning from Shandong province, sending the Geely-04 constellation of 11 satellites into planned orbit. It blasted off from the sea at 12:31 am. With a total length of 31 meters and a weight of 140 metric tons, the SD-3 is part of China's Dragon rocket family. Unlike the Long March rockets, which form the backbone of the country's space-launch vehicles, the Dragon series has been developed specifically to meet the growing market demand for launches of small commercial low-orbit satellites and satellite networks.

Xinhua