Parties everywhere for Beijing Olympic
Beijing has set up 26 Olympic cultural squares across the city’s 18 districts and counties. They opened to the public Sunday and will remain open until the Paralympic Games close on September 17th.
The cultural squares have a plasma screen television to show live broadcasts of the Games. There will also be various performances and exhibitions held at each location.
The cultural squares will serve as a vehicle for spreading the Olympic spirit and disseminating Olympic knowledge.
An important part of the ongoing Olympic Cultural Festival, each of the 26 Live Sites has a center stage where performing troupes from China, Russia, Mexico, Malaysia, Africa and South America will give all sorts of shows. Visitors will also have access to exhibitions, licensed Olympic merchandise, souvenir exchanges, catering services, sponsor displays and information desks.
Beijing believes it will greatly enrich the Live Site experience with its inclusion of various singing, dancing, music playing and exhibitions. It will therefore keep the sports fans happy while also serving as a grand stage to present the best of Chinese culture to an international audience. Take your pick from acrobatics, Peking Opera, cross-talk and martial arts performances by art troupes from across the country, as well as displays of China’s intangible cultural heritage and Beijing’s folk handicrafts.
The Live Sites will also feature performances based on cultural groups’ locations in Beijing’s 18 districts and counties. Some venues will organize traditional Lantern Festivals based on regional styles.
“Residents and visitors are fully welcome to participate in those activities – that is just what the Olympic Spirit calls for,” says Ruan Lanyu, one of the city government’s main organizers of the Live Site project.
The performances, exhibitions and other facilities will be open to the public from 8 am to 10 pm daily.
