For fashion, for business and for fun, the 12th International Fashion Festival will be held in Dalian City, Liaoning Province, from September 16 to 25.

Located at the southern tip of the Liaodong Peninsula, Dalian is famous for its picturesque scenery and pleasant weather.

Having debuted in 1988, the festival aims to enhance clothing design and promote international exchange and economic development. After a dozen years of cultivation, it has developed into a major event highlighting not only culture and tourism but also economy and trade.

This year's event features the following 11 events: First, the opening ceremony and a magnificent evening party.

The evening party entitled Hello New Millennium will highlight the opening ceremony, which will be held on the night of September 16 at the People's Stadium. It will be a gathering of superstars from both at home and abroad--the king of love songs Julio Iglesias from Spain, famous singer Zhang Xinzhe and Fan Xiaoxuan from Taiwan, Zhang Guorong from Hong Kong, and Mao Amin, Wei Wei, Na Ying and Xie Xiaodong from the Chinese mainland, as well as dance groups from Russia, Spain, Egypt and Columbia.

Second, the 12th International Garment Fair & China Garment Export Trade Talks. Even the 15,000-square-meter Dalian Xinghai Conference and Exhibition Center, which houses 710 standard berths, can't accommodate all the business partners coming to the fair from all corners of the world. Because of these space restrictions, the garment fair is usually held in two phases each year. The volume of business transacted was valued at 5.64 billion yuan at the last fair.

This year, about 300 enterprises from more than 20 countries and regions will attend the first phase, held from September 16 to 19. The 2000/2001 fashion and plus material trend is expected to be released during this phase. A dozen countries, including the United States, Italy, France and Japan, have signed up for the second phase, held from September 21 to 26.

Third, the 2000 Dalian Cup China Youth Fashion Designing Contest. The contest received a total of 575 entries from 633 contestants. So far, 30 contestants have been chosen for the final round on September 17.

Fourth, the 2000 Fashion Show of World Famous Designers. As one of the top events of its kind, the show has invited more than 20 virtuoso designers from Paris, Milan and Tokyo to come with their supermodels for its 32 fashion shows. The Italian Avant-Garde Fashion Show will be held concurrently on September 17-22.

Fifth, an East Asian parade with a touch of a Western carnival. Western carnivals have added much glamour to the last 11 parades, featuring traditional Chinese performances such as yangko (a popular rural dance) and land boats (a model boat used as a stage prop in folk dances). They have been popular with tourists and local residents.

Sixth, the Sixth Dalian International Dress & Adornments Cultural Theory Seminar.

The seminar will invite domestic famous experts, scholars and entrepreneurs to discuss topics such as opportunities and challenges that will face China's garment industry after its WTO entry.

Seventh, the Dalian Haute Couture Seminar. The forum has attracted much attention from domestic and overseas media for its international characteristics. The forum this year will be held on September 18, where garment industry insiders, famous designers and senior journalists from both at home and abroad will deliver speeches on the development of the international and Chinese garment industry.

Eighth, the Sound of Vienna. On the evening of September 22, a Vienna Holiday Philharmonic from Austria will give a concert at the Dalian Gymnasium.

Ninth, China's First TV Competition for Gold Medal Image Ambassador. This contest will promote image ambassadors from various industries, which will add a touch of glamour to the festival.

Tenth, a park celebration. The garden party will hold flower exhibitions, fashion shows for the elderly and performances.

Eleventh, closing ceremony. The performance of China's only state-level Central Ballet Ensemble will be the finale of the closing ceremony. In addition, five itineraries have been designed to enable visitors to enjoy Dalian's picturesque scenery.

from Beijing Review