A member of the chorus trains his oral muscles with a chopstick in his mouth. [Photo/www.81.cn]

To cope, soldiers train for four sessions daily, focusing not just on their musical performance but also to build stamina. Under the blazing sun, sometimes for four hours straight, some have fainted due to fatigue and dehydration.

Some have come up with their own ways of training.

Seven trumpet performers from the Military Band of Nanjing Military Region hang two bottles of water on their trumpets when they perform in order to build stamina.

Others are using fruits and chopsticks provided by the canteens to train their oral muscles, so they could pronounce and sing better.

"When we train together, in a group of more than a thousand, sometimes I am in awe myself," said Guo Qianxi, a performer at the military band.

"I am really looking forward to the parade. Come Sept 3, please hear us."