On the evening of April 16th, the 38th Weifang International Kite Festival opened in Weifang Grand Theater. Kite lovers from all over the country and guests from home and abroad gathered together to fly their dreams. Vice Governor Sun Jiye announced the opening ceremony; Former Vice Minister of Environmental Protection Zhou Jian attended the meeting. Liu Beijian, Vice President of the International Kite Federation and President of the Chinese Kite Association, Tian Qingying, Secretary of the CPC Municipal Committee, Sarah Selem, Ambassador of the Republic of Kenya to China, and Ma Lei, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Denmark to China delivered speeches respectively. Mayor Liu Yun presided over the opening.
Liu Beijian, on behalf of the International Kite Federation and the Chinese Kite Association, extended warm congratulations to the event.
Tian Qingying, on behalf of the Municipal Government and the people of the whole city, extended a warm welcome to all the guests and expressed heartfelt thanks to friends at home and abroad who are caring and supporting the development of Weifang, then briefly introduced Weifang’s economic and social development.
At the opening ceremony, Mayor Luis Medado Kimberema of Guaranda, Ecuador, and Mayor Yan Taijun of Icheon, South Korea, respectively expressed their congratulations in video. Guests watched the grand event of "Kite Flying Online" and enjoyed the thematic performance of "Wei Sea, Kite Dance".
A total of 118 kite teams, 500 flying players and 1,628 various shapes kites from 31 provinces, municipalities, autonomous regions and the Macao Special Administrative Region will take part in the competitions and performances. There will also be competitions, performances, exhibitions, economic and trade activities, and so on during the Festival . It will be a large comprehensive internationalization platform.
