There will be a 2012 Dandong International Beer Music Festival opening on Aug 16 and running through Aug 27, with the theme, "A joyous Beer Festival celebration in a new Dandong".

This year's festival is organized by the city of Dandong city and Germany's Württemberg with the purpose of increasing Dandong-Württemberg trade, economy, culture, and tourism exchanges. It hopes to take advantage of its position as the largest, most beautiful border city in China, and the center of the northeast Asian economic circle.

Its other purpose is to promote Dandong as a city of abundant trade, economic, cultural, and tourism resources and to build a better image and improve its international standing.

Festival activities include a fireworks party at the opening ceremony, a beer-drinking contest, a DV contest, a beer-maid contest, a Korean song and dance performance and a tourist attraction exhibit.

There will be a German Beer Tent Zone, covering a more than 4,000-square-meter area, that can hold 3,500 people; a European Beer Garden Zone, with a more than 1,000-sq m area, to give the guests several dozen European brands of beer to choose from; and a Korean cuisine and culture zone that will give visitors a chance to enjoy not only Korean singing and dancing but also real Korean cuisine.

Edited by Zhao Qian and Roger Bradshaw