Daring tricks and marching bands abound
March 28, 2011, Monday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
THOUSANDS of people will descend on the district over the May Day holiday when two major events - one sporting, the other musical - take place in Yangpu. Fei Lai provides an idea of what to expect from both.
For a long time, Yangpu District has been labeled as an industrial area with a remote location and a lack of entertainment. However, it is now a hot spot for sports and culture events.
The forthcoming May Day holiday will witness the grand KIA X Games 2011 and the marching band show of the 2011 Shanghai Spring International Music Festival.
Extreme sports fans will be familiar with the X Games Asia, which have been held annually in Shanghai for the past four years.
From April 29 to May 2, the city will again be thrilled by the grand event, featuring a new street course and a strong contingent of local participants.
Organized by ESPN STAR Sports' Event Management, the 2011 event will be headlined by top names from the world of extreme sports.
"In terms of spectatorship, it has continued to grow over the years. This year again promises to be another exciting edition with a spectacular list of world-class athletes in all competitions, a new street course, the return of the Mini-MegaRamp and an increased prize purse," said Harvey Davis, vice president of ESPN STAR Sport Event Management.
"We look forward to showcasing another exhilarating event to action sport fans in Shanghai."
Almost 200 extreme sports competitors from almost 30 countries and regions will compete in skateboarding, BMX freestyle, aggressive in-line skating and moto X events.
The extreme sports stars confirmed to compete at this year's event include seven-time gold medallist Pierre-Luc Gagnon, seven-time skateboard vert champion Bob Burnquist and two-time gold medallist and "big air" specialist Jake Brown in the skateboard discipline.
The Yasutoko brothers Eito and Takeshi, a popular draw among Asian fans, return to extend their dominance in the aggressive in-line vert category.
"We're taking this iconic sports event to new heights together with our sponsors and we're delighted to see that it has quickly established itself as a brand name in Asia," Davis said.
The KIA X Games Asia has earned a strong global reputation with a significant increase in awareness about extreme sports in the region and the 2011 event is expected to draw another capacity crowd this May.
Last year saw a record-breaking attendance with 58,400 spectators at Yangpu District's KIC Jiangwan Sports Center.
Visitors to this year's event can also look forward to a festival atmosphere at the X-Fest, where many exciting entertainment and music performances await them in an interactive activity arena with games and prize giveaways. Some of the big entertainment acts this year include Black New New, Ding Xia and event ambassador Andrew Zhilin Cheung and Miki Dan Tang.
The event will be broadcast live on ESPN STAR Sports' networks across Asia as well as SMG's Great Sports on April 30 to May 2.
Talented extreme sports enthusiasts are encouraged to compete with each other during the X Games to win prizes as well. As Yangpu is host to almost 14 universities with around 150,000 students, road shows will promote the competition as well as the spirit of courage, innovation and self-challenge.
Marching Bands
Bands from around the world will march in Yangpu District over the May Day holiday to celebrate the opening of the city's annual Shanghai Spring International Music Festival.
The four-day music show kicking off on April 30 will feature bands from Europe, America and Asia totaling more than 2,000 players.
Twenty-five Chinese amateur bands will add diversity to the sights and sounds of the festival.
Last year, Yangpu District hosted a similar music and arts week. It has now been upgraded to a full festival and major cultural event.
With Yangpu aiming at becoming a cultural district, the music event has also nurtured a batch of local bands with talented musical youngsters.
Lou Fei, a teacher from Kongjiang High School, has witnessed the school band's development in the past four years.
Starting from scratch, the school has made great efforts to attract students and form a band. Any student able to play an instrument and with good taste in music can have the opportunity to join.
"At the very beginning, few students wanted to join as they faced so much pressure exerted by the college entrance exams," Lou said.
"To attract them, the school proved the value of being a member of the band by winning a national gold medal. The band's great performance appealed to more students and nowadays it has developed to a band of almost 80 players."
At this year's event, the band will perform the famous traditional song "Jasmine" to the audience. According to Lou, it is the best piece they can play.
To prepare for a perfect performance at the show, the students now train each morning from 7:30am to 8am, each Friday afternoon and at weekends.
The four-day event has more to offer with music forums, concerts and performances in communities and universities, an exhibition of instruments and marching band shows.
The closing ceremony will be held at the stadium in Fudan University on May 2, according to organizers.
For a long time, Yangpu District has been labeled as an industrial area with a remote location and a lack of entertainment. However, it is now a hot spot for sports and culture events.
The forthcoming May Day holiday will witness the grand KIA X Games 2011 and the marching band show of the 2011 Shanghai Spring International Music Festival.
Extreme sports fans will be familiar with the X Games Asia, which have been held annually in Shanghai for the past four years.
From April 29 to May 2, the city will again be thrilled by the grand event, featuring a new street course and a strong contingent of local participants.
Organized by ESPN STAR Sports' Event Management, the 2011 event will be headlined by top names from the world of extreme sports.
"In terms of spectatorship, it has continued to grow over the years. This year again promises to be another exciting edition with a spectacular list of world-class athletes in all competitions, a new street course, the return of the Mini-MegaRamp and an increased prize purse," said Harvey Davis, vice president of ESPN STAR Sport Event Management.
"We look forward to showcasing another exhilarating event to action sport fans in Shanghai."
Almost 200 extreme sports competitors from almost 30 countries and regions will compete in skateboarding, BMX freestyle, aggressive in-line skating and moto X events.
The extreme sports stars confirmed to compete at this year's event include seven-time gold medallist Pierre-Luc Gagnon, seven-time skateboard vert champion Bob Burnquist and two-time gold medallist and "big air" specialist Jake Brown in the skateboard discipline.
The Yasutoko brothers Eito and Takeshi, a popular draw among Asian fans, return to extend their dominance in the aggressive in-line vert category.
"We're taking this iconic sports event to new heights together with our sponsors and we're delighted to see that it has quickly established itself as a brand name in Asia," Davis said.
The KIA X Games Asia has earned a strong global reputation with a significant increase in awareness about extreme sports in the region and the 2011 event is expected to draw another capacity crowd this May.
Last year saw a record-breaking attendance with 58,400 spectators at Yangpu District's KIC Jiangwan Sports Center.
Visitors to this year's event can also look forward to a festival atmosphere at the X-Fest, where many exciting entertainment and music performances await them in an interactive activity arena with games and prize giveaways. Some of the big entertainment acts this year include Black New New, Ding Xia and event ambassador Andrew Zhilin Cheung and Miki Dan Tang.
The event will be broadcast live on ESPN STAR Sports' networks across Asia as well as SMG's Great Sports on April 30 to May 2.
Talented extreme sports enthusiasts are encouraged to compete with each other during the X Games to win prizes as well. As Yangpu is host to almost 14 universities with around 150,000 students, road shows will promote the competition as well as the spirit of courage, innovation and self-challenge.
Marching Bands
Bands from around the world will march in Yangpu District over the May Day holiday to celebrate the opening of the city's annual Shanghai Spring International Music Festival.
The four-day music show kicking off on April 30 will feature bands from Europe, America and Asia totaling more than 2,000 players.
Twenty-five Chinese amateur bands will add diversity to the sights and sounds of the festival.
Last year, Yangpu District hosted a similar music and arts week. It has now been upgraded to a full festival and major cultural event.
With Yangpu aiming at becoming a cultural district, the music event has also nurtured a batch of local bands with talented musical youngsters.
Lou Fei, a teacher from Kongjiang High School, has witnessed the school band's development in the past four years.
Starting from scratch, the school has made great efforts to attract students and form a band. Any student able to play an instrument and with good taste in music can have the opportunity to join.
"At the very beginning, few students wanted to join as they faced so much pressure exerted by the college entrance exams," Lou said.
"To attract them, the school proved the value of being a member of the band by winning a national gold medal. The band's great performance appealed to more students and nowadays it has developed to a band of almost 80 players."
At this year's event, the band will perform the famous traditional song "Jasmine" to the audience. According to Lou, it is the best piece they can play.
To prepare for a perfect performance at the show, the students now train each morning from 7:30am to 8am, each Friday afternoon and at weekends.
The four-day event has more to offer with music forums, concerts and performances in communities and universities, an exhibition of instruments and marching band shows.
The closing ceremony will be held at the stadium in Fudan University on May 2, according to organizers.
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