Float parade is coming
By Beverly & Jean
Photos by Yao Fan

2003年在厦门举办的国际旅游节, 以花车巡游为亮点, 吸引了300, 000名的参与者, 构成了一次旅游盛会. 而由厦门市政府主办的第二届厦门大型花车巡游将于2005年2月26日举行. 本届以"共享激情与欢乐"为主题, 由闽台风情, 异域风采, 时尚风趣, 企业风姿四大版块构成. 本报提前预告, 以飨读者.

The first great float parade, as a spotlight of the festival, attracted more than 300, 000 spectators consisting of citizens and tourists during the Xiamen International Tourism Festival in November, 2003.

The 1st Grand Float Gala Parade, which was held in November 2003, was a great success. It received tremendous and positive responses from Xiamen citizens. To everyone's joy, the float parade is coming again.

The 2nd Grand Float Gala Parade is scheduled for the 26th of February, 2005. It will be hosted by Xiamen Municipal Government, organized by Xiamen Tourism Bureau, Xiamen Economy Development Bureau and Government of Siming District, and sponsored by Xiamen Asia-Pacific Tourism Development Center, Union of Jinmen Compatriots in Xiamen, Xiamen Radio and Broadcasting Corporation and last but not least Xiamen Daily.



The 2nd Grand Float Gala Parade will feature the theme of "Sharing Passion and Joy". It will consist of four major parts: customs in Fujian and Taiwan, foreign conventions, fashion and vogue, and enterprise profiles. There are going to be 22 floats and 16 divisions of marchers taking part in the performance. This parade is going to be large in size and scale, rich in content and novel in form.

The timing of the 2nd Grand Float Gala Parade fits in with the celebration of the 8th Cross-the-Straits Tourism Trade Get-together. Thus, it is a great opportunity for both sides to exhibit and promote their tourist resources and tourist cultures. It is an even greater opportunity for Xiamen to bring forth the essence of its cultural tourism culture, to highlight its geographical advantage as a gateway to Taiwan and to upgrade its city image and popularity. It also provides participant enterprises with a platform to make a name among the public.

As for the route, there has been some adjustment. The total length has been reduced from 6 km to 3 km. The route for the 2nd Grand Float Gala Parade in order of streets is: Tianhu Road (Everbright Bank, Xiamen Branch)-Bailuzhou Road -East Gongyuan Road-Tong'an Road-Zhenhai Road-Navy Dock.


A sample from the 2005 Float Parade

The 2nd Grand Float Gala Parade, as compared to the previous one, will make some remarkable progress. Culture and art will be featured more widely in this parade. Performances by the divisions will be better arranged and directed artistically, and therefore, will be more enjoyable to the audience.

After the parade, there is going to be a display of all the floats. The display will last from the 26th of February to the 2nd of March, 2005. Those who are interested can go to Nanhu Park, Haicang Bridge Scenic Area or Xiamen Culture and Art Center for an eye feast. This display serves as a facilitation for the appraisal of the best floats as well. There are 3 prizes; gold, silver and also a bronze medal. Apart from certificates and medals, winners will also be granted 100,000 yuan, 30,000 yuan and 10,000 yuan respectively.

At the moment, the preliminary work is coming along very well as expected. It is certain that the 2nd Grand Float Gala Parade will bring Xiamen citizens and tourists a colorful new year.

For organizations interested in subscribing for floats and performing groups intending to attend the parade, please contact the Xiamen Float Parade Committee before January 5, 2005 for more details and application information.

Xiamen Tourism Bureau
厦门市旅游局
Tel:0592-5310570
Http://www.xmtravel.com.cn
地址:厦门市湖滨北路78号兴业大厦六楼

The Organizing Committee of the 2005 2nd Xiamen Float Parade
厦门大型花车巡游组委会
Tel:2663076 2663075
Fax:2663073
Contact Person: Ms.Zhuo, Mr.Zhang
E-mail: huache66@163.com
Add: West side, first floor, Culture Palace Building, No. 47 Xin Hua Road, Xiamen, China
Postcode:361003
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