More than 260 top acrobatic artists and magicians from all over the world are coming this month to north China's Hebei Province to compete for the Golden Lion Prize.

The China Wuqiao International Circus Festival this year is slated for October 27 to November 4, Hebei Vice-Governor Liu Jiansheng announced Thursday.

The festival, founded in 1987, is held every other year and is the oldest of its kind in China. Its innovative acts have given it the reputation as the "Grand Circus Festival in the Orient."

The festival, since 1999, has been one of China's four designated State-level international cultural exchange activities. The others in that prestigious group are the China Art Festival, the Shanghai International Art Festival and the Beijing International Music Festival.

Liu said all programs are carefully selected from hundreds of applications that come in from more than 60 countries and regions. Most were recent big-time productions.

A magic competition has been added to this program this year, too.

"Wuqiao is forever striving to present new pleasant surprises," Liu said.

In addition, the second World Circus Forum will be held during the festival. Eminent circus artists, related circus thinkers and officials concerned will discuss the recent achievements of their industry and its future.

Still, the heart of the event is the chance to enjoy an important Chinese cultural tradition, said Ding Wei, director of the Foreign Liaison Bureau of the Ministry of Culture.

Besides circus shows, there will also be dozens of other performances that cover traditional Chinese arts like shadow plays, cloth painting and Hebei clappers opera.

"China is becoming the multilateral cultural exchange center of Asia, and circus festival surely makes a solid step forward," he said.

(China Daily 10/12/2001)