Press conference: Beijing Olympics Cultural Activities

Beijing Daily

Just now you mentioned that we have an Olympic Expo, would you please elaborate on the Olympic Expo, what will be the content of the Olympic Expo. Secondly, you said there are music library for the event of the Games. Would you please elaborate on that? How about the basketball, volleyball? Would you please share with us more details?

Zhao Dongming

Thank you for your questions. For the Olympic Expo, it is very important events. IOC attached great importance to that. President Samaranch has initiated this Expo.It was jointly sponsored by the IOC, Chinese Olympic committee BOCOG and the State Post Bureau. Some have organized meeting and I have participated the meetings organized by IOC.

Secondly, because it is the first Olympic Expo, so all the pieces that will enter the Expo will be world class. We have some of the artistic pieces, images, look and pictures from the Chinese Olympic Committee, especially the postal stamps and the coins from the Olympic history around the world. Postal items exhibition is the core of the Olympic Expo. They will show the history of the Olympic Games and you can find very valuable stamps. I think it will be very impressive.

We will combine Chinese culture with the Games. We made a lot of communication with IOC. On that basis, we have 34 teams of experts. We organized 42 test events and test activities. So I am proud to say that we are confident that we have this very good ceremonial team. And this team will be the core of all the ceremonies in terms of artistic aspect of the Olympics, I think they will do a very good job. For the specific question you have raised about the music library, we adopted technology. These are real innovations. We have libraries of more than 70,000 pieces of music. We have prepared videos for more than several thousands of hours. All these music are for general purposes, specific events as well as the venues. For instance, for the football Games, and for the athletes for the track events and field events, we have specific videos and music for them.

Everything is ready and we are going to take advantage of this occasion to express and showcase our cultural heritage. For the animation, in one minute, a very interesting performance will be shown. For instance, for the Badminton event during the break time, some very young champions of one Chinese traditional sports will be performing for you also accompanied by music, with two students from China Sports University, performing the fencing for you. All these designs are expected to create a world with lively and pleasant atmosphere for the audience. Also, it is gong to bring the audience a better understanding of China. I hope when you are watching the events, you are going to watch closely the performance.

Beijing Youth Daily

Among so many cultural events, which of them can be participated by the Beijing citizens for free? For example the Expo, can they go there for free?

Zhao Dongming

For the Beijing citizens, we are going to do our best to create this festival, in which everyone can enjoy. And one of them is to encourage them to go to the expos. All the squares will be accessible and open for free to the public. For this large number of expos, most of the exhibitions are free. Of course we have different categories. For those state level exhibition halls, most of the exhibitions are free. And also we are going to display most of the activities indoors. Because Beijing citizens like to see these events, we have to exercise some control. We will give some vouchers for them to go. We are going to put in place the registration system. There are a small number of museums that are of protective nature, such as the Palace Museum and Prince Gong's Mansion, which are not free. But I am sure you will find it very interesting to go to these expos.

For the nature of these events, it is clear that it is subsidized by the pubic. Of course, the public benefit does not always mean 100% free. When we charge fees, price will be reasonable. Because as I said that if everything is for free, there might be disorder. It is for the public benefit. It is inexpensive.

China Youth Daily

I am from China Youth Daily. Recently, there are some overseas reports saying that Beijing authorities have taken some very strict security measures. Are we going to put in place the equally strict measures for the cultural events?

Zhao Dongming

Good question. Of course I am concerned abut the question. Cultural Department has done some trial cultural events. As I said, people really like cultural events. So under this background, we have to make clear that security safety is NO. 1 priority for us, because it is different from the competition venues. With security measures installed at the venues, it is very convenient for you. But the cultural events are right near the places where citizens live, and they will find it very easy for the whole family to go. As I said, Beijing people would like to go to these events.

Additionally, we have been trying our best. On one hand, we need the support of everyone; on the other hand, we need the understanding of everyone. The purpose of cultural activities is to provide joy. Our security measures have to be practical. But security measures are a necessity. This is the particularity of the Olympics.

China Radio International

I am from China Radio International. As the host city, we have many foreign tourists in the city. During the course of the Games, do we have any cultural activities for all those tourists? Do we have any means to make sure that they do understand those cultural activities so that they can be part of the activities?

Zhao Dongming

In reply to your question, our activities on one hand should be of Chinese characteristics, on the other hand, should also have some international characteristics. We feature the essence between Chinese and foreign culture and the participation of the Chinese or foreigners. Therefore, when it comes to the design of the activities in the theatres, we have the performances of the Chinese and the foreign troupes. They can select them out of their own will about what performances they would like to participate in, whether Chinese or international. Indeed, it is convenient for them to make such a choice.

Secondly, for the activities on the cultural square, they are mostly for the purpose of promoting the Olympic spirit, cultural ambience and featuring the exchanges. Many Chinese and foreign tourists would come to Beijing to participate and learn about the Olympic Games as well as the Chinese culture and folklore. Many performance troupes and many cultural activities sponsors, in terms of the design of those activities, have taken care not to create something for their own genre but also the necessity of exposing the Chinese culture to tourists.

The cultural activities in the course of the Olympic Games have these features on design and the choreography. Indeed, with these national and international exchanges, we are showcasing the Chinese integration into the world culture. It will serve as a platform for the exchanges between the Chinese and foreign culture. In the culture square, we have many performances to be performed by foreign troupes.

CCTV.com

I wish to find out something from you. I want to know more about the international youth exchange. Could you please tell me something about the 101 Middle School, as the base of the camp? I want to find out what are the arrangements going on. Can we actually pay a visit to the place? Secondly, you have mentioned about the cultural guide and the cultural activities for 2008. Where can I get it?

Zhao Dongming

The international youth exchange is the most representative. We have representatives from more than 200 countries and regions. The 101 Middle School have done meticulous calculations in terms of accommodation and meals. What they have been doing is certainly most respectable of the different culture and traditions. Secondly, Beijing Youth Federation has organized some volunteers who can speak fluent foreign languages, assisted by some experts. A team has been set up for that purpose. A lot of people are very interested in the fact that they are coming. So they have done a lot of things. We have the involvement of All-China Women's Federation. They are into the preparation, trying to make sure the children will be very well taken care of.

We have to be aware of what the young people from the different countries need. The tickets of the Opening Ceremony will be provided for them. In addition to that, the transportation and the international trips are all taken care of by BOCOG. There are also activities other than participating in the Opening Ceremony and watching the Game arranged by international organizations who have been working with us. In order to expose the Chinese culture to them, we have provided facilities and opportunities for the exchanges, which help them to understand the life in Beijing and China. A great range of activities have been designed. The media are very welcome to visit the places.

From the bottom of my heart, I respect the Olympic Games so much. I have studied the history of the ancient and the modern Olympic Games. The modern Olympic Game is focusing more on the youth education and culture. Therefore, the Games are not only sports event. During the course of Olympic Games, the spirit of peace, solidarity, unity, progress can be conveyed through the platform of the Olympic Games. Focusing on the cultural elements, Mr. Juan Antonio Samaranch said once that for the host city, if they don't have any culture in the cities, then those cities are not complete. I totally agree with him. Therefore, I do encourage you to focus on what the young people can do during the course of the Games. On our part, we will make sure that they do have all those activities. We have many materials in Chinese, English and French at the Main Press Center and other main venues. Please feel free to read them.

Zhang Jinlin

Mr. Zhao has come up with three guides. After the press conference, I will place them at the service desk so that it will be made available. Tomorrow at 11:00, we will have another press conference, about the Transport Services during the course of the Games. At that point, we will invite people from Beijing Traffic Management Bureau as well as other BOCOG Transport Department to be part of this. You are most welcome to come.