Never forget: Beijing holds air raid siren drills

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Beijing held on Saturday air raid siren drills in the suburban areas as part of China's National Defense Education Day. The exercises have been conducted annually since 2014, serving both practical and symbolic purposes.

At 10 a.m. (0200 GMT) every year on National Defense Education Day, air sirens are blared as a literal wake-up call to the Chinese public.

The educational day falls on the third Saturday of September, which is close to September 18, the day Japan invaded China's northeastern provinces in 1931.

At the Lugou Bridge in southern Beijing, blaring sirens have a profound meaning. The area is regarded as the gate of Beijing, the place where Japan began its full-scale invasion in 1937.

File photo shows Chinese soldiers’ fighting against the Japanese army on July 7, 1937 at the Lugou Bridge. /Xinhua Photo

"Hearing war sirens at a time of peace at such a historic place, I recall the tragedy we suffered 70 years ago, and the great changes we have experienced," Chen Huaqiang, a visitor to the Lugou Bridge, told CGTN.

Authorities say there are also pragmatic motives. By carrying out air raid sirens, they hope the public will get familiar with the warning sounds and reduce casualties in case of emergencies.

Some schools also held emergency evacuation drills.

The warning system consists of three sirens, each at three minutes long, including a pre-alert siren with long intervals, the air raid alarm in short intervals, and an "all-clear" siren with no intervals.

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