A carnival celebrating traditional Chinese calligraphy is coming soon to Shaoxing City, of east China's Zhejiang Province. The "20th Lanting Pavilion Calligraphy Festival" and the "Water City Shaoxing Tourism Festival" will run from April 20 to May 20. The hosts of the 2,500-year-old city made the announcement in Beijing on Monday.

Officials representing both the tourism and calligraphy fields introduced the schedule of this year's celebrations. Shaoxing City is an ancient town famous for its tender beauty. The town is known for its water, bridges, rice wine and calligraphy. Locals are most proud of Lantingxu, or the Prelude of the Orchid Pavilion, which was written by Jin Dynasty calligraphy master Wang Xizhi.

This year's calligraphy festival will reenact a gathering in the Orchid Pavilion over 1,600 years ago. Forty-two of China's top poets and calligraphers will sample wines and write impromptu works at the Orchid Pavilion.

As for the tourism festival, the unique charms of Shaoxing will be on hand, including rice wine and folk opera.

Vice Mayor of Shaoxing City, Xie Weixing, said, "We are trying to present a great festival this year. All the guests invited and all the activities are at the nation's top level."

Other activities include an outdoor calligraphy and painting performance expected to draw a thousand participants, and a wine culture conference.

(CCTV.com March 31, 2004)