Guard of Honor march through the Tian'anmen Square during the military parade on Sept 3, 2015. [Photo/Xinhua]

Thousands of Chinese troops, along with their counterparts from 17 countries, marched past Tian'anmen Square; tanks and armor vehicles mounted with drones and missiles rumbled by. They were saluted by military aircraft roaring overhead.

China put on a massive military parade on Sept 3 to mark the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II and what it calls the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression.

It was a picture-perfect parade to show the world how far the country has come after a bitter victory seven decades ago, and also how far it could go for its hard-won peace and order.

Related coverage: War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression