China Selects 21 Cities to Greet First Light of New MillenniumBeihai, a coastal city in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, will welcome the first light of the new millennium together with 20 other Chinese cities.Li Yanqiang, the city's vice-mayor, said Thursday that Beihai will arrange a series of celebrations to greet the first light of the new millennium, including a fireworks evening party, swimming, and a 10,000-person parade in support of Beijing's bid for the 2008 Olympic Games. Beihai, with a history of more than 2,000 years, is the starting point of the ancient silk road on the sea. It used to be an important port from where Chinese traveled to Europe, Africa, and southeast Asia. The 20 other cities that will greet the first light of the new millennium together with Beihai are Dalian, Qinhuangdao, Yantai, Weihai, Qingdao, Rizhao, Lianyungang, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Zhoushan,Wenling, Wenzhou, Xianmen, Shantou, Shenzhen, Hong Kong, Zhuhai, Macao, Sanya, and Taipei. |
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