Beijing: The 10,000 pigeons released in a ceremony for China's National Day underwent unusual scrutiny, with each having its feathers and anus checked for dangerous materials, state-run media reports say.

The symbols of peace were released at sunrise in Beijing's Tiananmen Square in a ceremony for the October 1 holiday to celebrate the 65th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China.

Beijing has searched 10,000 pigeons, looking for dangerous devices. Credit:Adam McLean

Beijing domestic security police officer Guo Chunwei was quoted in the Jinghua Times as saying workers checked the wings, legs and anus of each pigeon ahead of time to ensure they were "not carrying suspicious material".

The entire process was videotaped, and the birds were then loaded into sealed vehicles for the trip to Tiananmen Square, the newspaper said.