Opening Day

Here are some photos taken February 5, the opening day of the ICS convention. The ceremonies began with a long walk down a city street to arrive at the reviewing area where a stage had been erected and folding chairs arranged for the audience. Various Chinese dignitaries and the ICS President made speeches. Flags were raised, fireworks were set off, music was played and dances were performed. Quite the spectacle as they pulled out all the stops to welcome the visiting camellia enthusiasts. The fourth picture in from the left in the first row attempts to capture the incredible enormity of the welcoming committee. Colorfully costumed locals lined both sides of the street for what seemed like miles. In this photo the line behind us (off camera) was at least as long as the one before us that you can (sort of) see.

Quick notes on the last three photos:
First is Nancy with the artist who painted the scroll you see behind them. We found his shop touring the mall during the time allotted for wandering around. We purchased one of his paintings and plan to frame it to hang in our downstairs room.
Second is Nancy being interviewed for Chinese TV. This interview was broadcast but we missed it because we were at the theater seeing a show of local traditional song and dance.
The last photo is the actors and actresses at the show pulling visitors on stage at the close of the show. Northern California camellia enthusiasts should be able to spot a familiar face.

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