Since the 29th Olympics kicked off in Beijing, an atmosphere of festivity has gripped the Chinese communities in Canada that have been organizing various parties to mark the historical event.
Buoyed by the fact that their home country is hosting the world's greatest sports gathering for the first time in history, Chinese Canadians have come out on the streets to share their joy and pride.
In this capital city of Ottawa, over 1,000 people gathered on the Parliament Hill Sunday for a revelry party at the political heart of the North American country.
With a showcase of traditional Chinese singing, dancing and martial art performance, they hope to communicate their happiness to all Canadians.
"China's hosting of the Olympic Games signals that it has transformed into a rich and strong nation from a poor and weak one. The opening ceremony is spectacular and a great success. All overseas Chinese are excited and proud of this," said Wang Daiyu, one of the organizers of the event.
"Today, we gather here to express our deepest joy and pride for our homeland," he said.
Chinese and Canadian national flags, the Olympic flags and the flags of the Beijing Games and 2010 Vancouver Winter Games flew high above the square in front of the Parliament buildings. The slogan of "One World, One Dream" was chanted repeatedly.
Federal Environment Minister John Baird was present on behalf of Prime Minister Stephen Harper. "The opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics is fantastic. It's really something to be celebrated," he said.
"All Canadians' eyes are on the Olympics these days. I would say the Canadians can be divided into two groups, one competing in Beijing, the other watching the broadcast at home," his humorous speech drew a wide applause.
The crowd then marched from the Parliament Hill to the City Hall on a parade, marked by the boisterous Chinese gong and drum, the lion dance and traditional dances. A lot of spectators joined.
"The parade is interesting. I hope I can go to Beijing to watch the games. Maybe I'm going to learn the Chinese language because now I want to know more about the Chinese culture," said a girl who just immigrated from Egypt.
The gathering in Ottawa is only one of the many events that the Canadian Chinese are organizing across the country. In Vancouver, Toronto and other large cities, Chinese are also meeting together on various occasions.
"Go China go, go Canada go," as 84-year-old Zhou Yuqin said, the Chinese communities would like to wish both teams good luck, and the Beijing games a great success.
(Xinhua News Agency August 11, 2008)