Two folk artists finished a giant paper cutting featuring the Chinese characters, "Meet in Beijing 2008" in less than two minutes, officially launching the Beijing Olympic Flagship Cultural Events until September.

China's Ministry of Culture on Tuesday released a tight schedule of major cultural events to be held in Beijing to celebrate the upcoming Games.

In the next six months, the host city will hold about 160 art exhibitions and stage over 260 shows, including music, opera, dance, drama and acrobatics from 80 countries on five continents.

"It will be the highest quality of cultural events ever in Beijing, spanning the longest period and the largest in scale," said Ding Wei, an official from the Chinese Ministry of Culture.

"More than 20,000 artists from home and abroad are expected to attract over four million spectators," he added.  "The programme is also China's 'cultural invitation' to the world."

More than 150 Chinese classical artistic performances are scheduled to be staged in hundreds of venues in Beijing, including the newly-finished National Center for Performing Arts.

Over 20 Chinese intangible cultural heritage plays and two large-scale exhibitions will also be presented. "People will have an opportunity to witness some rare folk arts," Zhang Qingshan, director of the National Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection Center, told chinadaily.com.cn.

"The Tangka, a special kind of scroll painting from Tibet will make their appearance," he added.

The overseas performances will begin on June 23, when Greek artists will dramatize the Olympic Flame Lighting Ceremony. A series of gala evenings will feature different cultures, including Asian Evening, Latin American Evening, African Evening and Arabian Evening.

Tan Dun fans will also have a chance to enjoy the master's musical charm. The Oscar-winning composer, who won for the soundtrack to the movie "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon", will showcase his opera production "Tea" at the National Center for Performing Arts in July.

Related link: http://www.meetinbeijing.org.cn/english/index.asp