The National Day military parade of 1956 was the first National Day military parade since China established the socialist system. The Communist Party of China had led the Chinese people to successfully complete a socialist transformation on individual farming, the individual handicraft industry and capitalist industry and commerce, and establish a socialist system. This led the Chinese people to take a promising socialist road.

Although it was raining on the parade day and every soldier and officer was soaked, they still briskly marched to the rhythm of the military symphony, holding their heads high. Water splashed as they marched forward in step, showing the indomitable and invincible spirit of the people's army. Because of the weather, the long-awaited Chinese-made jet aircrafts did not participate in the parade as originally planned, but the automobiles transporting the armed forces were Chinese-made Jiefang-branded, which were the first batch to come off the production line. This military parade fully demonstrated the huge step forward the Chinese military had made in its modernization.

(China.org.cn, CCTV August 13, 2009)