2006 'Arts from Our Land' Competition

Beijing Television's (BTV) annual "Arts from Our Land" competition provides an opportunity for expatriates interested in Chinese arts and culture to display their talents before an international audience. Amateur performers from all over the world have enjoyed meeting others who share their interests, making new friends as they work together to hone their skills in such Chinese art forms as crosstalk, martial arts, traditional dance and opera.

BTV hosted the first "Songs from Our Land: Foreigners Singing Chinese Songs" competition in 1995. The final round of competition was broadcast during the spring festival, and was one of the highest-rated specials that holiday season.

In the years since then, the annual competition has grown in scope and scale, and the ratings have continued to climb. A survey of spring festival programme popularity conducted in 2001 showed "Songs from Our Land" in third place, following only the CCTV and BTV gala variety specials. It is now broadcast in Hong Kong, North America and Europe, as well as throughout China.

In 2002, the competition was expanded to its present programme, and received a new name: "Arts from Our Land."

Every year, people of all races, creeds and nationalities gather together to display their love of Chinese arts and culture; to show off their talents in amicable competition; to make new friends and reunite with old ones. Together with viewers in China and abroad, they celebrate the spring festival in a spirit of international fellowship.

In the 2006 competition, BTV will have sub-competitions in Japan, the United States, France, Australia and Egypt. Finalists from both Beijing and abroad will compete for first, second and third places, as well as some special awards such as "most popular", "best performer" and "most photogenic".

BTV is now accepting applications for the competition, and if you are interested, please contact them and send your entry form before October 30. For more information, visit www.btv.com.cn and yule.sohu.com.

Liasion: Luo Xiangnan, Xiao Che Tel: +86 10 6842 9614

E-mail: caiyidasai@yahoo.com.cn