BRITISH CULTURE WEEK IN CHONGQING

A British music band, the State of Bengal (SOB), recently gave a great performance in Chongqing . Founded in 1987, SOB is an active modern music band based in London . It combines Bangladeshi folk music with western compositions to tell the stories and experiences of second generation British of Asian descent. The concerts attracted 8,000 university students and hundreds of teachers and local citizens. The enthusiastic audience shouted and cheered during the band’s performance . The members of SOB were delighted to conclude that music was a universal language and local youths understood it well.

This event was part of the activities organized by the British Consulate Chongqing for the British Culture Week lasted from October 18 to 25. Four British films hit the cinema during the week. "People can enjoy the original British films while improving their English," said a British Consulate official.

Carma Elliot, the Consul General, said, "The theme of the current cultural week is diversity and creativity. We especially want to present the diversity of the British culture, as well as the creativity of British people and their sense of humour." This is the second British Culture Week held in Chongqing . The first was held in March last year when Britain opened Consulate Chongqing, the fourth municipality in China.

Since Consulate Chongqing it has strengthened economic and cultural ties between Britain and Chongqing , which has a population of 32 million. An International English Language Testing System (IELTS) centre was established in Chongqing early this year and the local broadcasting station has started a British music channel.

BRITAIN WELCOMES CHINA

Around 80 visitors, media personnel, travel agents and officials from China recently met His Royal Highness the Duke of York for an exclusive event at the Tower of London .  The event – organised by VisitBritain, the national tourism marketing agency, and Visit London – kicked off Britain ’s first leisure tour from China, under new Approved Destination Status (ADS) visas.

As well as Chinese consumers, more than a dozen TV stations and newspapers who were on the trip also returned home with programmes and articles to inspire the Chinese to holiday here.

China is a powerhouse economy and there is a huge potential market for Britain . There are already many thousands of Chinese people who choose Britain as their preferred destination to study or do business. The national tourism authorities were delighted to welcome the first ADS group to this country. The 2006 China in London season will be the largest outside Asia and will be a fantastic celebration for Chinese visitors and residents alike.