ZHURIHE, Inner Mongolia, July 30 -- China on Sunday kicked off a grand military parade to mark the 90th birthday of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) in the Zhurihe military training base in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.

Forty-one helicopters flew in two formations that spelt the Chinese characters of "Ba Yi" -- which mean the date Aug. 1 -- and the number "90."

They were followed by vehicles on the ground carrying three flags -- that of the Communist Party of China, the state and the military.

This is the first time that China commemorates the Army Day, which falls on Aug. 1, with a military parade since the founding of New China in 1949.