High-tech feed takes show to theaters around country

Of China's 1.4 billion people, only a small proportion were lucky enough to see the grand celebration events in person on Tuesday in Beijing's Tian'anmen Square.

The next-best thing, however, was a high-resolution video and audio feed to selected theaters around the country.

For the first time, 4K signals transmitted via satellite carried the big show to 70 theaters, giving audiences a vivid experience on big screens that was almost as good as being there.

The feed provided an immersive experience for audiences using a breakthrough combination of ultra high-definition 4K television and film technologies, together with surround sound.

Most of the theaters were in big cities, including Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, Guangdong province.

On Tuesday morning, about 200 people viewed the celebration live through a 4K feed at Wanda Cinema in Beijing's Fengtai district.

At the Allstar Cinema in Guangzhou, Li Xiaoping, a 23-year-old student at South China Normal University, was visibly excited after watching. She had registered earlier, free of charge, via the cinema's WeChat account to watch the high-resolution broadcast.

"The theater's big screen and sound shocked me. It was like being in Tian'anmen Square," she said. "I witnessed the historic moment with about 100 other people, and I heard many of them say it was the most fantastic video they've ever watched. When the parade started, we all stood up, and I was proud when we sang the national anthem together."

She lives elsewhere but decided to stay in Guangzhou for the National Day holiday.

"I came to the cinema to celebrate the anniversary and enjoy the festive atmosphere," she said, adding that a squad of female soldiers impressed her the most as members of the armed forces passed by the square.

"The audience, including me, broke into applause several times," she said. "If such 4K live broadcasts can be done with more big events or festivals, that will be more fun."

For hundreds of millions of Chinese, watching TV at home was a more feasible way to share the festive mood.

A 22-year-old postgraduate from Yongzhou, Hunan province, who gave her surname as Zhang, said she was excited to see the new types of military equipment in the parade and took pictures.

Many people shared their happiness with short videos, pictures and texts on WeChat, the country's most popular social media tool, and Sina Weibo, an instant messaging platform.

Fu Yuhang, a deputy to the National People's Congress from Sichuan province, said her pride in being Chinese was greatly enhanced while watching the parade.

"We must be grateful to the earlier generations, and we should make more efforts to build our country into a more prosperous one," she said.