Preparations for the China International Circus Festival in the coastal Pearl River Delta city of Zhuhai are well underway as officials ready the city to receive guests from around the world.

Co-organized by the Ministry of Culture and the Guangdong provincial government and jointly managed by the Zhuhai city government and Chimelong Group, the grand circus gala will make its debut here from Nov 20 to Dec 1.

The biennial event will be held in Zhuhai from this year on.

Related infrastructure facilities are ready for use. The mascot, logo and slogan of the festival have already been selected. Volunteers are currently being trained and tickets are selling fast, according to local media.

Built with an investment of more than 300 million yuan ($49.19 million) from theme park company Chimelong Group, the venue for the festival is ready for operation.

The facility covers an area of 8,000 square meters and has 2,770 seats.

"Already in the home stretch now, we must get all the preparatory work done to make sure that the circus festival will become a cultural gala with global influence -showing the characteristics of China and at the same time, on par with international level," said He Ningka, mayor of Zhuhai and director of the festival's executive committee, during a recent meeting on festival preparation.

The mayor underscored security and transportation in his remarks, calling for related authorities to rehearse well for the success of the festival.

Other preparatory efforts include a facelift of urban image, catering and accommodation arrangement and medical service as well as promotional campaigns.

"We hope the circus festival itself will be made known nationwide and even worldwide and more people will share the happiness of the festival with us," the official said.

"We also hope our beautiful city will leave a deeper impression on all visitors from China and abroad."

Zhuhai is in a favorable position to hold the event, said Jiang Haiyan, deputy secretary-general of the Guangdong provincial government.

Zhuhai's Hengqing New Area, where the circus venue is located, lies just opposite Macao across a narrow river and only 34 nautical miles away from Hong Kong, so it is a vital link to the two special administrative regions, she said.

"The unique location will make it very easy for the festival to attract visitors from Hong Kong and Macao as well as foreign visitors via either of the two special administrative regions," she said at a recent press conference.

"And Chimelong's rich experience in the management of circus programs will lay a solid foundation for turning the festival into a worldwide authoritative, influential and alluring circus and acrobatics competition," she added.

Some 30 top circus and acrobatics teams from 17 countries and regions including Russia, France and the United States will take part in the competition and show off funny clowns, aerial acrobatics, stage acrobatics, animal-taming and magic during the festival.

Leaders of China's acrobatics associations, senior executives of globally renowned circus groups, champions of international circus competitions, and domestic and overseas veterans of the circus industry will preside over the competition.

zhanlisheng@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily USA 11/07/2013 page5)