China's upcoming 15th National Games build momentum as athletes arrive in host cities

Host cities across south China's Guangdong Province, and the neighboring Hong Kong and Macao Special Administrative Regions are seeing a surge in arrivals of athletes and officials for the upcoming China's 15th National Games.

The Games, scheduled to run from Nov 9 to 21 and to be held across 105 venues in Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao, feature 34 sports with 419 events in the competitive program and 23 sports with 166 events in the mass participation program.

More than 20,000 athletes are set to compete in the final phase.

On Thursday, Wushu athletes from east China's Fujian Province and members of Hong Kong's delegation, including athletes and technical officials, arrived in Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong.

The Guangzhou competition zone has so far handled arrivals and departures for about 1,600 groups of participants, organizers said.

In Shenzhen, Guangdong, teams competing in basketball, gymnastics and swimming have also begun arriving.

The city's airport has handled more than 1,600 competition-related flights and over 5,600 passengers linked to the Games.

At the Hengqin border checkpoint in Zhuhai City, around 1,300 athletes and staff have entered through special channels designated for the event as of Thursday, according to border authorities.

With the opening ceremony approaching, designated hotels for the 15th National Games, along with the 12th National Games for Persons with Disabilities and the 9th National Special Olympic Games, in Guangzhou are stepping up final preparations.

"We've prepared high-calorie meals for technical officials who have intense daily activities, and we've extended buffet service hours according to their schedules. Our dinner buffet, which used to close at 22:00, is now open until 23:30 in certain parts," said Peng Weidong, manager at a hotel in Guangzhou.

The National Games, held every four years, is China's highest level and largest national multi-sports event. The last edition in 2021 saw over 12,000 athletes compete in the northwestern province of Shaanxi.

China's upcoming 15th National Games build momentum as athletes arrive in host cities

The 16th Beijing International Film Festival unfolded a "water red carpet" along a section of the Grand Canal in Tongzhou District, its sub-venue, on Friday night, when dazzling lights and illuminations brought the ancient waterway vividly to life.

The "water red carpet" stretched 3.3 kilometers on the canal, the world's longest and oldest man-made waterway spanning roughly 1,794 km, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2014. Five tour boats carried guests on the water, and after that they stepped onto a 100-meter red carpet along the waterfront.

Another highlight of the evening was the official premiere and maiden voyage of Journey on the Canal, a large-scale water spectacle performance that is part of activities held by the film festival's Tongzhou sub-venue.

With real scenes of the Grand Canal as the backdrop and stage, spectators from tour boats with panoramic ceilings enjoyed the 55-minute immersive performance that presents the canal's thousand-year history along a 3.5-kilometer stretch of the river.

Designed by renowned artist Han Meilin, the production features artistic installations in combination with advanced technology, including stunning water curtain projections, laser displays and dynamic lighting effects.

Tongzhou District, located in the southeast of Beijing, serves as the sub-center of the Chinese capital. The area is developing into a modern urban hub while preserving its rich Grand Canal heritage.

The festival is running from April 16 to 25.

Beijing film festival unfolds 'water red carpet' on Grand Canal