The opening ceremony for the 2003 Shanghai Tourism Festival was held on Saturday night along Huaihai Road in downtown Shanghai, highlighting a one-hour parade of floats, dancers and fireworks.

More than 300,000 people took in the event.

The 22 floats, which are traditional part of the local tourism festival, will be showcased in 12 districts through September 29, the event organizers said.

"It's the first time for us to see the local carnival. It's well organized. Look at those fireworks, it's fabulous," said Jurgen Schumann, headmaster of the German School Shanghai, whose students performed at the festival's opening ceremony.

"We are familiar with carnivals since they can often be seen in Germany - but not so many fireworks," added his wife Selma.

Also on Saturday, some 5,000 people took part in a street party on the Nanjing Road Pedestrian Mall. Music for the event was performed by Chinese rock star Cui Jian and the Cotton Club's jazz band.

The shanghai Tourism Festival, which is in its 14th year, will run through October 6, and close with a 30-minute Italian fireworks show at Pudong Century Park.

The three-week event will include more than 20 main programs and dozens of smaller happenings hosted by local governments of districts as well as tourist spots such as Xintiandi, Oriental Boat and Century Park.

(eastday.com September 15, 2003)