China has banned flying kites, drones and captive pigeons over central Beijing as it prepares for a military parade to mark the 70th anniversary of Communist Party rule on October 1.
A public notice posted Sunday on the Beijing government's website said that flying activities that affect flight safety would be prohibited in seven of the capital city's 16 districts from September 15 to October 1.
China is holding parade rehearsals for the second weekend in a row. Military planes flew over the route Sunday, after tanks and other military vehicles rumbled along the same road the previous night.
The parade is part of a huge ceremony planned at Beijing's Tiananmen Square to mark the founding of the People's Republic of China on Oct. 1, 1949.