Lovers in Beijing will have one more choice to enjoy their time together during this year's Valentine's Day - watching the Four Continents Figure Skating Championships.
The event's promotion posters remind people of the increasing popularity of the Western-style festival. The day's image is printed by the championships schedule, which runs on February 12 through to 16.
"I think it is a good idea to watch figure skating on the romantic day," said a young Chinese office lady, who only gave her surname as Xiang.
"Figure skating is more like an artistic performance than competition, so far as I am concerned," she said. "Gracious dance on the ice, and the music, how wonderful!"
Though it's hard for a second-tier event to draw top athletes from the world, the five-day event is still taken as the highest- caliber figure skating competition China has ever hosted.
Beijing fans will watch their native world champions Shen Xue and Zhao Hongbo versus compatriots Pang Qing and Tong Jian, runners-up to Shen and Zhao at the recent Winter Asian Games in Japan.
(China Daily February 13, 2003)
