Chinese ceremonial soldiers train with weighted drills for parade precision

Chinese ceremonial soldiers undergo daily drills that require them to stand completely still for up to three hours while balancing objects on their heads and arms. The exercises also include sandbags fastened to their legs and water bottles suspended from their arms to build endurance and posture control.

Training methods Liu Zhencheng, 23, a member of the Beijing Armed Police Corps, described one assignment in which he stood at attention while an aircraft passed within 15 to 20 metres. He said the engine noise and heat made concentration difficult, but movement was not permitted.

The armed police follow the same rules and receive the same treatment as the People’s Liberation Army and report to the Central Military Commission. A photograph released by Beijing Daily shows a line of soldiers standing motionless during one of the water-bottle drills.