As the Beijing Olympics gets closer, a century-old dream of the Chinese people is set to become true. For Chinese communities in Canada, it is also a proud moment to celebrate.
"Our hearts swell with great pride," Pierrette Wong, President of Montreal Chinese Community Cultural Center (MCCCC), told Xinhua Sunday night when attending the kick-off of the "China Week" at the 24th International Fireworks Festival in La Ronde amusement park.
Wong, who was raised in Mauritius, said that the culmination of the one-week activities will be on Aug. 9-10 with participation of no less than 800 artists from Montreal Chinese community to cheer for the games and showcase Chinese culture.
On the very day of the Beijing Olympic opening ceremony, she said, MCCCC will set up a giant TV screen at the Sun Yat Sen Park in Chinatown, and invite local dignitaries and general public to share the pride that the great games bring to Canadian Chinese.
"Beijing Olympics is an opportunity for outsiders to see a clearer picture of a fast changing China," said Daiyu Wang, who heads the Canadian Chinese Culture Fund in Ottawa.
Wang said the Chinese community in Ottawa has planned a series of events to cheer on both teams of Canada, their adopted country, and of China, their homeland.
Of course, the community's best wishes will go to Canadian athletes of Chinese origin, as among Team Canada's 331 members that are heading to Beijing, nine are Chinese, Wang said.
Within the "China Week," a Chinese flag hoisting ceremony will be held on the noon of Aug. 8 in front of Ottawa City Hall. On Aug. 10, about 2,000 people will attend a colorful parade ending at Parliament Hill to celebrate both the Beijing games and the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics.
Ottawa citizens will have the opportunity to enjoy a grand showcase of Chinese culture, as Chinese martial art, ethnic dances, lion dances are performed at the parade.
Last Friday, 400 people, including Canadian government officials and athletes, gathered at the National Library Theater in Ottawa to express their best wishes for the opening of the Beijing Olympics.
"To host the Olympics is a century-old dream of the Chinese people. As the Beijing Olympics comes closer, all Chinese people across the world are becoming most excited and proud than ever," said Lu Hongmin, president of the Ottawa Chinese Canadian Confederation, during a speech at the start of the gathering.
Songs about the Olympics, including "Forever Friends," "I Love Beijing," "I Love You China," were sung by Chinese students. An Ottawa police officer named Dominic also sang a few Chinese songs, and drew loud applauses from the audience.
Two members of Team Canada's Kayake program were then invited to the stage and presented an Olympic flag signed by hundreds of Chinese Canadians.
At the end of the gathering, organizers asked the audience to fly 88 paper planes at the same time to wish good luck for the Beijing Olympics, which opens on Aug. 8.
(Xinhua News Agency August 4, 2008)