Jinshan District of Shanghai recently launched its "Meet at the Beach" activities, which will run through October, highlighted by the 2005 China Jinshan Open Swatch-FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour this week.
A series of activities, set up under a different theme each month, is expected to display the district's charming seaside view, enhance its cultural reputation as well as introduce Jinshan to the world.
"As Shanghai becomes more integrated into the world and gains fame for its cultural achievements, it's necessary for Jinshan to keep up with the trend and increase its cultural reputation," said Liu Jie, vice director of Shanghai Jinshan Culture, Broadcasting and Television Bureau.
He said the next six months is a good opportunity to bring Jinshan's humanistic spirit and the people's culture to a new level.
As a prelude to this grand cultural pageant, the 2005 China Jinshan Open Swatch-FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour will run from tomorrow to Sunday.
This international sporting event will be held in Jinshan's Beach Volleyball Venue, which was constructed in 2004 for the China leg of the FIVB Women's Beach Volleyball World Tour.
Jinshan is the first stop on this year's tour. Over 200 athletes from five continents have signed up for the Jinshan Open. The first two days will consist of a qualifying tournament.
Altogether 128 players from 32 male and 32 female teams will take part in the formal matches on the last four days of the event.
As one of the highest profile events in beach volleyball, the tournament is expected to be very intense and each country will send the best players to the tournament.
Altogether, there are 16 stops on the 2005 Beach Volleyball World Tour, many in well-known cities, such as Berlin, Marseille and Paris.
Beach volleyball originated in Santa Monica, California, in 1920, and entered the Olympics for the first time in Atlanta in 1996.
The beach arena in Jinshan is composed of a major space with 3,600 seats, four supplementary spaces and a training area. Besides, as required by the International Volleyball Federation, 1,000 square meters was set up for management, dressing rooms, medical services, communication and media.
Taking the opportunity to host the World Beach Volleyball Tour, the second phase of the 1,580-meter sightseeing corridor project was completed.
"The facilities in the venue were appraised by FIVB officials as one of the six best beach volleyball venues in the world," said Liu. "This week will be a time for Jinshan to get on the center-stage for the world."
After the "Passionate May," another two highlights during the six-month-long pageant will be "Youthful July" and "Splendid October."
"Youthful July" will bring large performances themed "Wing Summer Concert Season" targeted at teenagers while "Splendid October" will be characterized by foreign cultural exchanges.
(Shanghai Daily May 16, 2005)
