BEIJING -- The constellation Orion could be seen twinkling in the early hours of Sept. 3, thanks to a temporary shutdown of factories in and around the Chinese capital. The shutdown order was meant to clear the city's cloud of air pollution and ensure blue skies during the day's massive military parade.

The parade was in commemoration of the 70th anniversary of China's victory in "the war of resistance against Japanese aggression" as well as "the world anti-fascist war."