A night rehearsal of the Guard of Honor. [Photo / Getty Image]

MALL REHEARSALS

The MailOnline carried a number of photographs of the 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards and Drum Corps going through their paces on a dark and windy Mall in London. It was part of the preparations for President Xi Jinping's Guard of Honor. The Mall, leading from Buckingham Palace to Trafalgar Square, was decked out in Chinese and UK flags for the state visit.

A full dress rehearsal was conducted overnight on Monday and finished just before 5 am. The Mall had been closed off to traffic for the dress rehearsal to take place.

COMPILED BY WANG QINGYUN AND TUO YANNAN