Edinburgh to start festive season with Chinese elements

LONDON - Edinburgh will launch a series of festivals in August for music, fringe, book and film, with involvement of Chinese elements, said local sources on Monday.

The Fringe Festival, world's leading arts festival, will run from Aug 3 to 27 this year, with performances from China's Beijing and Shanghai, said Neil Mackinnon, head of external affairs of the festival.

The Beijing No 4 Middle School, working with Scottish Opera, will stage a performance namely Young China Shines, Mackinnon told Xinhua.

Meanwhile, artists from Shanghai will bring a classic love story, the White Snake, to Edinburgh during the festival, he said.

Established in 1947, the Fringe is a showcase for the performing arts. This year, it is estimated to attract 22,457 artists from 47 countries and regions, with more than 42,000 performances put on in August.

Another cultural event is the Edinburgh International Book Festival, scheduled for Aug 11-27, which will invite 800 authors from 43 countries and regions, including China, said Frances Sutton, press manager of the festival.

"They include Guo Xiaolu, Li Yiyun and Xi Chuan," she said.

To mark the 50th year of establishment of Writers' Conference in Edinburgh, the conference this year will travel around the world across 13 countries, including China, she added.

As these festivals were held coinciding with the Olympics and Paralympics, Sutton hoped that the sports galas would bring more visitors to Edinburgh.

The Edinburgh Festival, so called to include about 10 festivals collectively such as the Edinburgh International Festival, starts each summer in the capital of Scotland.