Zhang Qiyue, China's consul general in New York, out the ceremonial first pitch at the baseball game between the New York Mets and San Diego Padres on Friday night at Citi Field in Flushing, Queens. The night also marked the ninth edition of An Evening of Chinese Culture, an annual Chinese cultural celebration co-hosted by the Mets and the Sino-American Friendship Association. The celebration featured an on-field award presentation honoring individuals who have made contributions to China-US cultural exchanges. This year's awardees include Zhang; New York City Councilman Peter Koo; Larry Lee, vice-chairman of China Daily USA; Xue Yaping, director of the China National Tourist Office in New York, and others. To promote the Year of China-US Tourism, a video introducing one of China's historical and natural heritages, the Giant Buddha of Leshan in Sichuan province in Southwest China, was shown on the large outfield screen during the game. Chinese folk songs, dances and martial arts were performed before the game. "Baseball is one of the most popular sports in the United States, and it's also getting quite popular in China and other parts of the world," Zhang said. “I think sports and culture are a really good platform for the promotion of mutual understanding between people of different countries and cultures. With this event, we are hoping to further promote the Year of Tourism between the US and China, and also through sports and culture, we will be able to enhance the understanding of people of the two countries," Zhang added. SHI XI / FOR CHINA DAILY