First Beijing int'l magic carnival opens

BEIJING-- The First China Beijing International Magic Carnival was inaugurated in the city's Changping District on Friday evening, with an attendance of more than 50 magicians from 22 countries and regions.

The three-day event is co-sponsored by the Ministry of Culture, the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles, and the municipal government of Beijing. It will become a biennial event in the city.

This year's carnival is composed of an international magic competition, an international magic forum, and an exhibition of magic equipment and tools.

The district government of Changping, the host, will take the opportunity to sign long-term agreements on cooperation with some international magic organizations, according to organizers of the event.

The International Federation of Magic Societies is likely to open its China office in Changping, while the local government also plans to base the headquarters of the Asian Federation of Magic Societies in the district.

Local officials said Changping has mapped out an ambitious plan for the development of magic industry in the district. In the future, a Beijing Magic City will be built there, including a magic theater, a center for the study of magic, a magic museum, and a development and research center for magic equipment and tools.