The annual Beer Festival has opened in Dalian, on China's northeastern coast. It began Thursday night at the Xinghai Plaza, drawing a crowd of 160-thousand.

Dalian International Beer Festival is the largest beer event in China in both size and the number of people who attend. This is the festival's 11th session and it's attracted brewers from more than 10 countries and regions including Japan, Germany, US, South Korea and Russia. And there are more than four hundred Chinese brands at the fair.

Germany's Munich Beer Festival, the world's largest, has sent delegates to Dalian to seek cooperation opportunities on tourism and trade with Chinese firms. The twelve day festival is expected to attract over one million people.

(CCTV August 3, 2009)