Newman Huo
SHENZHEN will launch an annual international tourism festival in October, part of its effort to build the city into an international coastal tourism center, authorities announced yesterday.
The two-month Shenzhen International Tourism and Culture Festival, the fifth since 2005, will stage 22 cultural, sports and tourism events. Among them there will be China Cup International Regatta, the F1 Powerboat World Championship, the Disc Dog China Open Contest, Omega Mission Hills World Cup, World Beer Festival and International Music Festival.
Vice Mayor Tang Jie expected the festival to help increase the city’s reputation both in the country and around the world.
Li Xiaogan, Party chief of the city’s culture, sports and tourism bureau, said some of the events had become a name card for Shenzhen and had led to the increased attendance of international visitors.
Among the regular contests, the Disc Dog China Open Contest is a new arrival at the festival. Staged at Neihu Park in Houhai Bay, Nanshan District, from Nov. 20 to 22, the contest is expected to attract 50 teams from the world.
In disc dog competitions, dogs and their human disc throwers compete in events such as distance catching and the somewhat-choreographed freestyle catching. The sport celebrates the bond between the handler and dog by getting them to work together.