“The People’s Olympics” is designated as one of the three themes of the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. Aiming at fully displaying this theme and practicing the tenet of “Cultural Harmony and Artistic Sharing,” the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of China, in accordance with the overall planning of the Beijing Olympic Committee, has carefully organized a series of 2008 Olympic cultural events, which will last for more than half a year and include more than 300 performances and exhibitions presented by some 20,000 artists from about 80 countries and regions.

The Beijing Olympics will be a good chance for people from around the world to get to know the time-honored traditional Chinese culture and the dynamic and modern China as well. We’d like to show the contemporary Chinese culture and China’s rich, intangible cultural heritage to our friends who come from all over the world to participate in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games and Beijing Paralympic Games. All of our friends will have the chance to behold how common citizens in China take part in Olympic cultural activities at public squares; visit various places of interest in Beijing; and have a look at Chinese spirituality from different angles.

The 2008 Beijing Olympic Games and Beijing Paralympic Games also provide countries from all over the world with a wide platform to understand each other, strengthen friendship and promote cultural exchange and cooperation. Based on the principle of “learning from each other in the spirit of seeking common ground while shelving differences; respecting the diversity of the world,; and making joint efforts to advance human civilization,” we’ve singled out a large amount of outstanding artistic achievements from more than 80 countries and regions and invited them to Beijing for a public display, presenting a beautiful landscape of cultural diversity. This will also be a good chance for Chinese to learn and absorb the outstanding achievements of human civilization.

The 2008 Beijing Olympic Games and Beijing Paralympic Games will not only be a global sports gathering, but also a global cultural gala where China will have all-around cultural exchanges with the rest of the world. I believe, through the Beijing 2008 cultural events, all of the guests and friends who come to the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games will be able to fully enjoy the artistic charm presented by the artists from China and the rest of the world; the Olympic cultural activities will, to a large degree, promote mutual understanding and integration between the Eastern and Western cultures, and facilitate the spread of Olympic spirit in China.