Beijing Week Becomes the Focus of Expo Milano

2015-06-01　Source: Chinaculture.org

Long queues of people wait to get into the China Pavilion on Saturday.

Long queues of people waited for hours to try to get into the China Pavilion on Saturday, as the Beijing Week officially kicked off with a performance at the ongoing Expo Milano.

The ballet Marco Polo, co-produced by National Center for the Performing Arts (NCPA) and the Song and Dance Troupe of the PLA General Political Department, was performed for the first time outside China to mark the opening of Beijing Week. Meanwhile, visitors can see acrobats, Beijing Opera, and video play which showcase the rich cultural heritage of Beijing.

As the first Chinese city featured at the Italian world expo, Beijing authorities launched a series of interactive activities in the upcoming days. Li Wei, Secretary-General of Beijing municipal government, said that they want to use the event to highlight the city's cosmopolitan side.

Visitors watch a video advertisement about Beijing Opera as well as Beijing culture.

Wang Jinzhen, the head the Beijing delegation at the Milan Expo, expressed that Beijing Week is a good example to follow for events to be held by other Chinese cities and provinces.

"Firstly, Beijing week covers a wide range of activities with various themes, ranging from agriculture to food safety, which will fully display the glamour of the city. The glazed red walls and splendid landscape of the pavilion all add charm to the city," he said.

The landscape garden outside the China Pavilion, which was newly decorated with Beijing elements such as the red wall of the Imperial Palace and the Old Beijing Hutong (alleyways), became the stage for presentations on Beijing’s agriculture, tourism, fashion and other industries.

The ballet drama Marco Polo was performed to mark the opening of Beijing Week.

According to Stefano Cartie, the curator of the Italy Pavilion, Beijing Week should help people better understand Beijing.

"During the events held by China, we will also hold corresponding activities at the Italy pavilion. I hope we can explore more potential for bilateral cooperation. We will start from March. We'll introduce the region to Beijing first. And similar activities will follow. The world expo not just serves as a tourist site but also a huge platform for companies to seek opportunities for cooperation and chances of increasing their global market share," he said.

Dancers in Marco Polo participate in the parade on the opening day of Beijing Week.

After elaborate preparation, Marco Polo won praise from the audience. The show is the story about a young Italian man in the present day who is reading Travels of Marco Polo in Venice and is absorbed in the oriental legends until he dreams of himself as Marco Polo and travels into ancient China.

"Italian traveler Marco Polo marveled at Chinese culture along the Silk Road and we are doing the same along the Silk Road Economic Belt and 21st Century Maritime Silk Road," NCPA Vice President Li Zhixiang told Chinese media before the show kicked off.

The "Belt and Road" initiatives were introduced by Chinese President Xi Jinping to boost infrastructure building, financial cooperation and cultural exchanges between Asia and Europe.

The Beijing delegation published a special edition for Beijing Week.

"Dance is a language understood by everybody in the world and we are confident that the ballet Marco Polo will achieve remarkable success with international audiences," Li said.

The Beijing Week also marks the first overseas presentation of an international horticultural expo that will take place in Beijing in 2019. It will last until June 3.