An air echelon escorting flags flies over Tian'anmen Square during the celebrations marking the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China (PRC), in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 1, 2019. (Xinhua/Liu Xiao)

BEIJING, Oct. 1 (Xinhua) -- An air echelon flew over Tian'anmen Square Tuesday morning escorting flags of the Communist Party of China (CPC), the nation, and the People's Liberation Army (PLA), marking the start of a grand National Day military parade.

Each flag was carried by a Z-8B transport helicopter and guarded by two Z-10 armed helicopters on both sides.

Eight Z-10 armed helicopters and 12 Z-19 armed helicopters followed in a formation that spelt "70" in the air.

On the ground, a formation of Guard of Honor marched along the east Chang'an Avenue to Tian'anmen Square, holding high the CPC flag, the national flag and the PLA flag.

With an active force of around 2 million, the PLA has come a long way since its birth -- the armed uprising by 20,000 soldiers in the city of Nanchang on Aug. 1, 1927.

An air echelon escorting flags flies over Tian'anmen Square during the celebrations marking the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China (PRC), in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 1, 2019. (Xinhua/Chen Yehua)

An air echelon escorting flags flies over Tian'anmen Square during the celebrations marking the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China (PRC), in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 1, 2019. (Xinhua/Li Xin)

An air echelon escorting flags flies over Tian'anmen Square during the celebrations marking the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China (PRC), in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 1, 2019. (Xinhua/Chen Yehua)

An air echelon escorting flags flies over Tian'anmen Square during the celebrations marking the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China (PRC), in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 1, 2019. (Xinhua/Liu Xu)

An air echelon escorting flags flies over Tian'anmen Square during the celebrations marking the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China (PRC), in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 1, 2019. (Xinhua/Shen Hong)

An air echelon escorting flags flies over Tian'anmen Square during the celebrations marking the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China (PRC), in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 1, 2019. (Xinhua/Shen Hong)

Helicopters forming the number "70" fly over the Tian'anmen Square during the celebrations marking the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China (PRC) in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 1, 2019. (Xinhua/Wang Jianmin)

Helicopters forming the number "70" fly over the Tian'anmen Square during the celebrations marking the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China (PRC) in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 1, 2019. (Xinhua/Yue Yuewei)

An air echelon escorting flags is seen during the celebrations marking the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China (PRC), in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 1, 2019. (Xinhua/Liu Jinhai)

An air echelon escorting flags is seen during the celebrations marking the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China (PRC), in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 1, 2019. (Xinhua/Liu Jinhai)

An air echelon escorting flags (R-L) of the Communist Party of China (CPC), the nation, and the People's Liberation Army (PLA) flies over the Tian'anmen Square, marking the start of a grand military parade celebrating the 70th founding anniversary of the People's Republic of China in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 1, 2019. (Xinhua/Liu Dawei)

An air echelon escorting flags (R-L) of the Communist Party of China (CPC), the nation, and the People's Liberation Army (PLA) flies over the Tian'anmen Square, marking the start of a grand military parade celebrating the 70th founding anniversary of the People's Republic of China in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 1, 2019. (Xinhua/Li Gang)

An air echelon flies over the Tian'anmen Square during a grand military parade celebrating the 70th founding anniversary of the People's Republic of China in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 1, 2019. (Xinhua/Liu Dawei)

An air echelon escorting flags (R-L) of the Communist Party of China (CPC), the nation, and the People's Liberation Army (PLA) flies over the Tian'anmen Square, marking the start of a grand military parade celebrating the 70th founding anniversary of the People's Republic of China in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 1, 2019. (Xinhua/Li Gang)

An air echelon escorting flags (R-L) of the Communist Party of China (CPC), the nation, and the People's Liberation Army (PLA) flies over the Tian'anmen Square, marking the start of a grand military parade celebrating the 70th founding anniversary of the People's Republic of China in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 1, 2019. (Xinhua/Pang Xinglei)

An air echelon escorting flags takes part in a military parade celebrating the 70th founding anniversary of the People's Republic of China (PRC) in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 1, 2019. (Xinhua/Li An)

The flag-guarding air echelon takes part in a military parade celebrating the 70th founding anniversary of the People's Republic of China (PRC) in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 1, 2019. (Xinhua/Xiao Yijiu)

The flag-guarding air echelon takes part in a military parade celebrating the 70th founding anniversary of the People's Republic of China (PRC) in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 1, 2019. (Xinhua/Xiao Yijiu)

The flag-guarding air echelon takes part in a military parade celebrating the 70th founding anniversary of the People's Republic of China (PRC) in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 1, 2019. (Xinhua/Xiao Yijiu)

An air echelon escorting flags is seen during the celebrations marking the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China (PRC), in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 1, 2019. (Xinhua/Meng Dingbo)

Twenty helicopters fly in the formation of "70" during a military parade celebrating the 70th founding anniversary of the People's Republic of China (PRC) in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 1, 2019. (Xinhua/Deng Hua)

The flag-guarding air echelon take part in a military parade celebrating the 70th founding anniversary of the People's Republic of China (PRC) in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 1, 2019. (Xinhua/Xue Yubin)

The flag-guarding air echelon take part in a military parade celebrating the 70th founding anniversary of the People's Republic of China (PRC) in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 1, 2019. (Xinhua/Yao Jianfeng)

Twenty helicopters fly in the formation of "70" during a military parade celebrating the 70th founding anniversary of the People's Republic of China (PRC) in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 1, 2019. (Xinhua/Xue Yubin)

The flag-guarding air echelon take part in a military parade celebrating the 70th founding anniversary of the People's Republic of China (PRC) in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 1, 2019. (Xinhua/Deng Hua)

Twenty helicopters fly in the formation of "70" during a military parade celebrating the 70th founding anniversary of the People's Republic of China (PRC) in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 1, 2019. (Xinhua/Xue Yubin)

An air echelon escorting flags take part in a military parade celebrating the 70th founding anniversary of the People's Republic of China (PRC) in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 1, 2019. (Xinhua/Deng Hua)

The flag-guarding air echelon takes part in a military parade celebrating the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China (PRC) in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 1, 2019. (Xinhua/Xiao Yijiu)