Beijing Culture Festival Opens in Moscow

A large-scale Beijing Culture Festival opened in Moscow on Thursday evening, during which the Beijing and Moscow municipal governments will jointly hold a series of spectacular Beijing culture introduction and display activities.

At the grand opening ceremony of the festival in the Russian State Central Concert Hall, Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov said that the coming perfect performance of excellent Chinese artists, a Chinese handicraft article show, a Beijing snapshots show, an exhibition and flight practice of Chinese kites will become important events in the cultural life of Moscow citizens and draw their great attention and interest.

Jia Qinglin, Secretary of the Beijing Municipal Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, who is on a special trip to Moscow to attend the festival, said at the ceremony that the various cultural exchange activities between the two countries' capitals have strengthened and will further promote not only the friendly cooperation between the two cities, but also the partnership of strategic cooperation between the two great nations.

The current Beijing Culture Festival in Moscow will open a new page in the development history of the two cities' friendly relations, he said.

Following the two city leaders' addresses, Chinese artists offered over 3,000 Russian and Chinese audiences a wonderful performance of Chinese traditional art, including Beijing Opera, Chinese music, acrobatics and folk dances. Their brilliant interpretation of Chinese art won Moscow citizens' ardent bravo.

During the one-week festival, its organizers will also hold a magnificent singing and dancing evening in the open air of the Moscow Culture Party, a flight show of Chinese kites, a special performance of Beijing Opera and royal display days of China's " national treasure" animals pandas, as well as other interesting and splendid cultural activities.

Beijing and Moscow established a friendly relationship of sisterhood in May 1995. In 1999, they held a successful Moscow Culture Festival in Beijing, and a Chinese kite festival in Moscow.






People's Daily Online --- http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/