It's a formidable international cast, with massed pipes and drums marching in lockstep.
Every August, as part of the Edinburgh Festival, the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo brings together military bands from all over the world to perform on the esplanade of Edinburgh Castle.
As the Tattoo's producer David Allfrey explains, the event weds contrasting elements.
"Underneath the whole show is the essence of a little bit of 'Dao.' We have 'Yin Yang' in the show. You will see it in the formations, you will see the contrasts between male and female, between light and shade, between fire and ice, night and day. All of these things are in there for somebody who is looking for them. We have blue and red, of course, which are the colors, if you like, of East meets West. These colors come together at various points in the show."
The PLA military band joining in the tattoo has performed more than 7,000 times in its 63-year history, including at National Day celebrations, state visits, and even the Beijing Olympic Games of 2008.
Cheng Daming, Artistic Director of the band, says it's all about putting together a great performance.
"The performance by the PLA is divided into three parts. The first part is to show the PLA's image; the second part is to show a combination of British and Chinese musical traditions; and the last part is to convey a sense of the glory of the PLA."
As the Chinese band has joined the performance for more than a decade, Allfrey says he now has the idea to bring the Tattoo to China.
"I have a passionate vision to bring this tattoo to China in 2020. I would absolutely love to do that. China is the home of large international events. You did the Beijing Games, China has just won the (bid for the) Winter Olympics. All of these things, China has so much to show us."
Over the next three weeks, more than 200,000 people are expected to attend the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, which is part of the ongoing Edinburgh Festival.
The Edinburgh Festival features a wide range of arts and cultural events, and takes place each August, in Edinburgh, Scotland.
For CRI, this is Wang Wei.
