Open Denmark Day 2015 held at the Embassy

The Royal Danish Embassy held its annual festive Open Denmark Day on May 9 to further showcase all facets of Denmark among Chinese people at a time when the two countries are celebrating the 65th anniversary of diplomatic relations establishment.

The light rain did not dampen people’s enthusiasm, as nearly 8,000 visitors enjoyed genuine Danish design, gastronomy, art performances and brand names at the Royal Danish Embassy compound in Beijing on Saturday, May 9, 2015.

This is the fifth time that the Embassy has held such a public diplomacy event to greet Chinese people and satisfy their curiosity with what Denmark can offer.

On the occasion of the 65th anniversary of establishing the diplomatic relations, this year’s event added more flavor to the “all-time high” bilateral ties and further promotes the cultural awareness of Denmark among Chinese citizens.

“I am more than happy to welcome the thousands of guests we have had today. This event expresses our eagerness to showcase the best of Denmark to the Chinese citizens,” said Mr. Friis Arne Petersen, Ambassador of Denmark to China.

“During my five years in China, I have witnessed many important and also cheerful moments that have helped shape the bilateral relationship to the peak where we are today. Not least the many and frequent people-to-people contacts that have helped grow our ties. Never before in history have so many citizens from our two countries visited that of each other, never before have we had so many student exchanges and never before have our countries employed so many Chinese and Danish citizens in their businesses.”

In different highlighted events, ballet dancers from the Beijing Dance Academy and the Royal Danish Ballet School showcased their silhouette; musical performances were treated, while a patrol dog all the way from Denmark showcased his mastery of police dog tricks and detection skills. Lucky draws were held in both sessions to award visitors with gifts sponsored by Danish companies.

The Danish chef John Kofod Pedersen also demonstrated his New Nordic Cuisine recipes and invited visitors to have a taste of the Nordic kitchen.

In the meanwhile, two VIP salon sessions featuring Danish high quality food, healthy lifestyle and green development were held at the Ambassador’s residence, where senior officials, scholars and company representatives engaging in discussions on topics related to Denmark.