Competitors getting ready for the contest [Photo/ChinaNews] |
Competitors getting ready for the contest [Photo/ChinaNews] |
On July 21, a press conference was held in the Water Cube, officially the Beijing National Aquatics Center, to announce the grand opening of the third Water Cube Cup Chinese Songs Contest for foreign adolescents of Chinese origin.
With the motto of “Gathering in the Water Cube, Singing with Love for China”, the contest is aimed at encouraging more overseas Chinese to learn Chinese, promoting traditional Chinese culture and enhancing their ties with Beijing.
Gao Yunchao, vice-director of the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of the Beijing municipal government, on behalf of the organizing committee of the contest, reported the previous preparation, overseas competition and the arrangement of the approaching contest as well as the awards ceremony.
He said that 42 contestants stood out from over 1,000 competitors and won in their respective countries, coming to Beijing for the finals. The competitors will be trained by professional singers in the following days and participate in knockout matches on July 27 and 31. Afterwards, 10 finalists will contend for the gold, silver and bronze medals on Aug 3. The awards ceremony will take place on the evening of Aug 8, where all 42 competitors will be provided a platform to show their talent and, if lucky, have a chance to perform with renowned artists in China.
Britain, New Zealand and South Africa were included as competition countries this year, implying the increasing scale and capabilities of the contest, added Gao.
Most of the competitors have arrived in Beijing and are getting ready for the great gala.