Guard of Honour makes PLA's image shine

Under the scorching sun 151 soldiers stood like statues, waiting to be inspected by a visiting state leader in the centre of Tian'anmen Square.

When the Guard of Honour of the three services of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) moved, the earth seemed to shake, and a cloud of dust rose from the ground as every step was perfectly timed.

When they paused, their uniforms were soaked, yet their grasp of the 3.5-kilogram bayonet rifle remained tight.

Though it lasts only 10 minutes, the ceremony by the Guard of Honour is the country's highest honour for visiting world leaders. Wearing dress uniforms in green, blue and white, they represent the three military services the army, navy and air force.

"Every move must be flawless," said Liu Shiwei, Guard director. Regarded as the representatives of "China's dignity and the army's image," the Guard does not tolerate a single mistake.

As China observes Army Day today, it seems appropriate to feature the Guard of Honour, perhaps the PLA's most visible unit. An assignment to the Guard means having a job involving complicated procedures and strict rules.

The guards must walk exactly 116 footsteps every minute. Each footstep must be exactly 75 centimetres long and exactly 30 centimetres off the ground.

Since its founding in 1952, the Guard of Honour has created a record of more than 1,000 flawless performances.

Today the Guard shoulders more frequent and more important ceremonial duties thanks to sound diplomatic relations between China and other countries, said Cheng Zhiqiang, the Guard's former director.

Last year it performed ceremonial duties 144 times compared with 110 in 2004.

The impeccable performance is a result of painstaking preparation before each mission. Among them, one rule stands out: "On the day of a performance, no sickness is allowed."

"A guard in the Guard of Honour cannot afford to get sick," said Wan Xiaojun, deputy director of the administrative office of the Guard. "If a soldier doesn't feel well, he cannot stand unmoving for two hours."

To avoid any incidents, each guard has to report to his team leader either "I am well" or "I am not well" one day before the ceremony, Wan said.

Every Friday afternoon, each squad of the Guard holds a meeting to discuss and share tips on how to prevent illness, he added.

Apart from efforts to guarantee healthy bodies, the soldiers' psychological stability is paramount.

"Any emotional uneasiness might lead to mistakes on duty," Wan said. "It is crucial to update and check their psychological conditions."

Precautions are taken. For instance, guards are not allowed to read mail or receive calls one day before the ceremony. Also, three soldiers in a 12-soldier squad are in charge of observing and reporting daily emotional changes.

"Soldiers are human," Wan said. "They have emotions. A good leader understands what even a blink (on their faces) stands for and knows how to respond to it."

The requirements to join the Guard of Honour are strict. Guards must be aged 18 to 21, above 180 centimetres tall and weigh about 80 kilograms.

"Guards have to be tall, good-looking and have shining eyes," said Han Jie, director of the No 1 Division of the Guard.

"Sometimes, only one soldier is selected from a whole county. The requirements are even stricter than for fighter pilots," he said.

Meeting the prescribed height ranks as the top requirement. In recent years, the minimum height has been raised, and Cheng said that is due to the rising living standard in the country.

Compared with China in general, the world of the Guard, at least in terms of height, feels a bit unusual.

"I am the tallest at home, but when I came here, I found myself only of medium height. It was funny," said Zhang Hongjie, 26, the deputy executive captain of the Guard, from Linju County in Shandong Province.

It helps in a more light-hearted way, too. Zhang, a top player, said the Guard's basketball team has won the Beijing military league title for several years.

As far as their preparation is concerned, Zhang admitted: "It can be boring practising the same command for six hours each day, but only by practising hard can orderly and fluid movements be guaranteed."

New guards don't appreciate the hard work until they actually perform. Recalling the first time he performed the captain's duties, Zhang said he was so nervous that he couldn't sleep the night before. Then in the morning, his throat was itchy. "I was afraid that I might not be able to pronounce the commands," he said.

"As I was standing there, the air was frozen. In such a large space, everyone stood still, and I was the only one moving. I couldn't feel anything. It was about doing subliminally what I had practised. It was then that I realized why we had trained so many times."

But the pride and honour of being in the Guard makes up for all the difficulties.

"It was my childhood dream, and I still feel the thrill every time I perform the precision drill," said Zhang, who joined the Guard after graduating from senior middle school in 1997.

To the guards, each mission is sacred and significant. "When you wear casual clothes, you don't feel anything particular," Zhang said. "But when I change into my dress uniform, I feel how important and great my job is."

Captain Li Qiang, 27, from Tangshan in Hebei Province and a 10-year member of the Guard and its executive captain for two years, agrees: "Every time the national anthems are played, I feel the responsibility and importance of being a soldier and a Chinese citizen."

And their family and friends feel that pride, as well. Many guards come from remote villages in North and East China's Shandong, Hebei and Shaanxi provinces.

"When my high schoolmates heard that I was serving in the Guard of Honour, their reaction was 'Wow!'" said Zhang Lei, a 21-year-old guard who grew up in Donglu Village, in Zoucheng, Shandong. After he failed the national college entrance exam three years ago, he applied to join the army.

"I was lucky to be picked. My parents strongly supported me," Zhang Lei said. But life in the army has not been all as he expected.

Because of the rules, Zhang said he has not returned home since he left. And his parents, both farmers in a village of about 400 people, have been unable to visit him because of the distance and the travelling expense.

Instead, Zhang's parents can see their son when diplomatic news is presented on television showing world leaders inspecting them.

"If my mum knows I am going to perform the next day, she will tell the whole village to come and watch me on TV," he said.

Zhang mailed a photo featuring him and Russian President Vladimir Putin last year. "When he walked by me, my legs were trembling and I was very excited," Zhang said. "He looked friendly and nice."

Off duty, these stone-faced ambassadors are just like any fun-loving young men. They watch movies, listen to pop music and play basketball.

"I love rock and punk music," said Jiang Ming, a 20-year-old guard from Fusong County of Northeast China's Jilin Province who listens to music on his laptop computer in his dormitory. "My favourite band is the American band Nirvana. I want to have my own band in the future and perform live on stage."

Asked whether they have girlfriends, the guards blushed.

"We may have girlfriends, but because of our busy working and training schedule, we actually don't have time for romance," said Li Qiang, who is single. "It really isn't fair to the girl, either."

After the national army inspection in 1999, China's 50th anniversary, both Li and Zhang Hongjie, who were flag carrier and flag escort at that time, received piles of love letters from all across the country.

"We didn't read the letters because we had to be very focused on our job," Li said. " I'm at my peak now. I want to do my best to give something back to my country."

But the captain conceded he has a type of girl in mind: "I am looking for someone who is bright and has a quiet personality."

Because of the frequent close contact with foreign leaders, Li said one of his goals is to improve his English language skills.

"Last time when the Swedish king praised us after I reported to him at the ceremony, I only understood 'Thank you very much,'" Li said. "I hope I can have a better command of the English language in the future."

A soldier in China serves an average of two years. Although Guard officials would not reveal how many guards there are, they did say the Guard of Honour recruits about 200 solders each year, and the same number enter the civilian world and look for jobs.

Only a few top guards remain and are promoted into the army, said Han, the division director.

But for every guard in the Guard of Honour, the experience is a lifetime treasure.

"Teamwork has made me more mature and considerate of other people," Jiang Ming said. Back in Jilin Province, he didn't do any housework. Now he washes and irons his own clothes and polishes his boots.

Li said he'll never regret his decision not going to college as his parents had expected. "Equipped with what I've learnt here," he said, "I can deal with any situation in the future."

Source: China Daily