Festival adds color to the Games

The sixth Qingdao Olympic Cultural Festival opened on June 23, kicking off a three-month gala for local residents, visitors and athletes from across the world.

Concluding on September 16 at the end of the 2008 Paralympic Games, the festival includes 178 events.

A joint promotional event for the Olympic competitions in Hong Kong and Qingdao also started on June 23 at Huiquan Square in Qingdao.

Hong Kong is the host of the Olympic equestrian competition.

"Qingdao and Hong Kong, as host cities in the 29th Olympiad, will share its pride and glory. The Olympics are strengthening cooperation between the two cities," said Timothy Fok, Hong Kong Olympic Committee president, at the opening ceremony of the Qingdao festival.

Xia Geng, Qindao mayor and chairman of its Olympic committee, joined the audience at the festival opening ceremony in cheers that will be used during the Games.

The gala of 178 events will bring together millions of local residents and artists from both home and abroad for singing and dancing shows, theater acts, open-air concerts, sports activities, exhibitions of traditional handicrafts, calligraphy and paintings, Olympic photography competitions and sailing races for youngsters.

As part of the festival, an orchestra from Indiana in the United States performed on June 24 at the Qingdao People's Hall.

Concerts by Chinese, other US, Danish and Belgian musicians will also be held during the event.

(China Daily 07/03/2008 page24)