China has been chosen as the "Guest of Honor" at this year's Geneva Festival.

The 58th annual festival takes place from August 4 to 14 in the Swiss city Geneva, put on by the local Tourism Administration.

The Geneva Festival began in 1947. It's the largest annual summer event in Switzerland and attracts crowds of people to the shore of Lake Geneva for concerts, food and exhibits of crafts from around the world.

Since 1997, the festival hosts have invited one country each year as their "Guest of Honor" and showcase that country's culture. China being this year's special guest, the 2005 Geneva Festival will provide a series of China-themed programs to introduce audience from all over the world to the time-honored magnificence of the Chinese civilization.

According to the festival hosts, these programs will include song and dance performances from remote regions of western China, photo galleries depicting natural scenery and China's many world heritage sites, a Kung Fu show by Shaolin monks, ancient forms of opera, folk music recitals and popular art by Chinese craftsmen.

This year is the 55th anniversary of the opening of diplomatic relations between China and Switzerland and the two countries have just signed a deal to become tourist destination partners. The Geneva Tourism Administration estimates that 3 million people will attend this year's festival.

(CRI.com August 3, 2005)