Civilian paraders marched through Tian'anmen Square Thursday morning as another centerpiece of the National Day fete to mark the 60th anniversary of the People's Republic of China.

Leading the mass pageant was the formations presenting the national flag and national emblem.

Amidst the music of the Song of Red Flag played by a military band, 1,949 young men held up and escorted a huge Chinese national flag, which weighs about 150 kilograms.

Surrounded by 720 bunches of flowers, the flag, the largest-ever displayed during China's national day parades, is 28.8 meters in length, 19.2 meters in width and covers nearly 600 square meters, bigger than a basketball court.

Following was a float carrying the national emblem and the huge figures of "1949-2009". The float was escorted by 2,009 people.

(Xinhua News Agency October 1, 2009)