Following launch celebrations over the Chinese New Year, CHINA NOW, the UK’s largest ever festival of Chinese culture, has unveiled a programme of more than 800 events in the six-month run-up to the Beijing Olympics.
The festival, which will feature Chinese film, comics, art, literature and music, takes place across the UK, with performances by Shaolin monks (pictured), at Sadler’s Wells, an acrobatic version of Swan Lake at the Royal Opera House, the Flying Dragon Circus in Newcastle and the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra’s nationwide tour. A nationwide art trail is showcasing contemporary Chinese art including sculptures, sound-scapes and photographic art. The festival is an independently funded, non-profit organisation, conceived by the UK business community and chaired by Stephen Green, Group Chairman of HSBC Holdings plc. It aims to advance the public’s understanding of China and forge strong relationships between artists, cultural leaders, schools, businesses and communities in the two countries.