2007 "Arts from Our Land" Competition

Registration began on September 20

    for would-be participants in Beijing Television's (BTV) annual "Arts from Our Land" competition for 2007.

The finals of the programme will be shown on BTV during the 2007 Spring Festival holiday.

The event offers expatriates interested in Chinese arts and culture a stage on which they can display their talents before an international audience. Participants from three Chinese cities and five overseas venues are expected to perform during the 2007 show.

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 it was one of the highest-rated specials of that holiday season. In the years since then, the annual competition has grown in scope and scale, and the ratings have continued to climb. 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 to express their love of Chinese arts and culture; to show off their talents in amicable competition; to make new friends and reunite with old ones. With viewers in China and abroad, they celebrate the spring festival in a spirit of international fellowship.

In the 2007 competition, BTV will have sub-competitions in Japan, the United States, Germany, New Zealand and Egypt. Domestic cities such as Hangzhou and Lijiang will also have competitions for applicants in South and Central China. Finalists will be brought to Beijing for the contestÕs finals.

Highlights for the 2007 competition includes the ÒChinese Arts Ambassador,Ó a Spring Festival variety show presented by the contestÕs participants, enhanced TV broadcasts and the introduction of two classes: singing and non-singing competitions.

The selection of a ÒChinese Arts AmbassadorÓ from among the participants will be a highlight of the competition. TV broadcasts related to the show will take place over a two-month period, 15 shows. Since more professionals are taking part in the competition, the contestÕs judges and participants will be divided into two groups: singers and non-singers. This will result in two winners.

BTV is now accepting applications for the competition, and if you are interested, please see: http://bn.sina.com.cn/z/2007arts/.

Sign-up contact:

Beijing: +86 10 8846 8405, 6842 9614

Hangzhou: +86 571 8534 4072, 133 5578 5728

United States: +1 310 9631 617

Europe: lirong0117@hotmail.com

Agenda:

SeptemberÐDecember 2006: Sign up

OctoberÐDecember 2006: First rounds

Mid-January 2007: Finals

JanuaryÐSpring Festival 2007: TV broadcasts in China (including Hong Kong), North America and Europe