In the early days of New China, the country did not have a national defense industry, and could not import equipment from western countries, so was only able to import or imitate Soviet Union equipment. The equipment displayed in the National Day military parade of 1954 showed that the modernization of the PLA equipment had developed to a certain level.

In this grand ceremony, paratroops appeared for the first time, but they did not carry out a parachute jump. During the 63-minute parade, the most unforgettable display was made by the PLA cavalry divisions. The cavalry troops were established relatively early - they were established in the red army period. These brave troops had once plodded through marshlands and scaled snow-topped mountains. They had swept vast grasslands and endless deserts, making glorious achievements in various wars, and were thus known as the “Chinese Cossacks”.