On March 3, Beijing will send grand Olympic festooned vehicles to Hollywood in the US to join a traditional Chinese gala scheduled to be held there to welcome the arrival of spring. The vehicles will start from the gate of Grauman's Chinese Theatre and parade along the Star Boulevard.

 

Beijing Municipal Tourism Administration and Los Angeles Office of Tourism have jointly planned the gala. It is said that 510 Chinese artists will take part in the parade, 110 of them being professional singers and dancers, while others are selected from elite folk artists. The folk artists will bring pure Chinese folks stunt like "walking on stilts" (walkers from Gaobeidian in Beijing) and "peace and prosperity drums" (drummers from Mentougou, also in Beijing).

 

It is believed that the gala will not only entertain the Chinese living in LA, but also will introduce Chinese traditions as well as the Chinese people's enthusiasm for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games to the Americans.

 

(Chinanews February 26, 2007)