Published : 03/02/2026

On 3 February, 1949, the People's Liberation Army (PLA) held a grand entry ceremony in Beiping (now Beijing), the capital of China.

The PLA took over the defence of Beiping on 31 January, 1949, announcing the peaceful liberation of the area.

The agreement was signed on 22 January, confirming the peaceful liberation of Beiping. Subsequently, 250,000 Kuomintang troops moved to designated locations outside the city to await reorganisation.

The authorities originally planned to send troops into Beiping on 29 January to take over the defence from Kuomintang General Fu Zuoyi (傅作義).

However, considering that the day coincided with the Chinese New Year, to avoid disturbing the citizens' celebrations, the date was postponed, serving also as a good start for future implementation of good urban policies.

The entry ceremony began at 10:00 a.m., with the troops entering through Yongdingmen Gate, advancing along Yongdingmen Street and Qianmen Street, continuing east into Dongjiaominxiang (東交民巷) after passing Qianmen Gate.

The troops successively passed through Chongwenmen Inner Street, Dongdan, Dongsi, Beixinqiao, and Taipangdong.

After joining another group of troops that entered from Xizhimen Gate, they turned southwards, passing through Xisi, Xidan, Xichang'an Street, Hepingmen Gate, and Luomashi Street, finally exiting the city through Guang'anmen Gate.