'Curtains Up' for Maizidian Festival

A foreign child from the Diplomatic Residence Compound (DRC)[Photo by Wu Bo/chinadaily.com.cn]

Traditional folk-custom performance[Photo by Wu Bo/chinadaily.com.cn]

2012 Maizidian International Community Cultural Festival themed "Hi！麥?home!" opened on the night of June 10 at the SOLANA square in Chaoyang District of Beijing. The festival is aimed at supporting a lively multi-cultural community.

As part of the festival, the Community Folk-Custom Week began with the Chinese and Foreign Residents Float Tour. About seven teams competed with brightly decorated flower cars, including teams from the Maizidian Chinese Language Class, the Canadian International School of Beijing, and the Beijing Service Bureau for Foreign Officials. The festival will last until June 24.

The most eye-catching float and performance came from the Beijing Service Bureau for Foreign Officials, with their flower car driver wearing a cool mask, and a wonderful dance and singing performance given by the team.

The team mainly included residents from the Diplomatic Residence Compound (DRC), and the service bureau is set to provide living and working places for embassies, international organizations, and foreign news agencies which have offices in China.

According to the residents, various activities are held frequently to promote multi-cultural communication by DRC, and the Maizidian international community as well.

The Maizidian sub-district covers an area of 6.8 square kilometers, and foreign residents from 92 countries and regions including the United States and France account for 22% of the total population.

The Maizidian International Community Cultural Festival debuted in 2010, and is now held once a year. The festival this year will last until the end of the year, and many interesting events, including a costume ball is expected to bring lots of fun to the community.