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Olympic Spirit

Since Beijing succeeded in its bid to host the 2008 Olympic Games, it has celebrated the Games with Beijing Olympic Cultural Festivals.

The fifth and final festival in the series took place from June 23 to July 15, 2007, and it was highlighted by the participation of millions of locals in Beijing and in the 2008 Games’ co-host cities of Shanghai, Shenyang, Tianjin, Qingdao, Qinhuangdao and Hong Kong.

 Themed “One World One Dream: I Participate, I Contribute, and I Enjoy,” the cultural festival integrated sports with culture, featuring about 110 sports and cultural activities ranging from Olympic live shows, films, forums, exhibitions, open-air concerts, and cultural activities for youths and people with a disability.

Highlighted activities included: the “Olympic Rhythms” open-air concerts from June 24 to July 14, with more than 300 pop stars singing Olympic songs with the public.

During the Beijing International Sports Film Week, more than 40 international films about sports were released in the city. The Nationwide Fitness Sports Festival was well received, with people of different ages and from all walks of life joining in the long-distance running, and basketball and badminton matches.

There was an exhibition of handicrafts was made by Chinese disabled artists. It featured 100 exhibits, such as paper-cuttings, sculptures, porcelain, embroidery and wax prints, made by people with a disability from ages 15 to 82. Some of the artists were amputees or suffered from visual impairments.