Hello, yellow! A gigantic character with the face of the sun goes on parade at Nice Carnival - “The King of Energy” during its first weekend in Feb. 2017 in Nice, France. (Photo : NiceCotedazurTourism/YouTube)
The “King of Energy” shall set foot in Xiamen.
Or in other words, the carnival is coming to town.
Xiamen and Nice authorities inked an agreement on Feb. 27 in Nice, France, to make Carnaval de Nice or Nice Carnival come to China, according to Imagetrans Group.
Philippe Pradal, Mayor of Nice, and Yang Qi, Director of Xiamen Municipal Bureau of Tourism, signed a strategic cooperation contract to create the Xiamen-Nice International Carnival 2017.
According to Nice authorities, in Asia Pacific, they only authorized Xiamen’s tourism bureau to have the Nice Carnival in China.
The strategic cooperation will last for 3-5 years.
The Xiamen-Nice International Carnival 2017 will pave way for a marketing platform that will promote each other’s culture and tourism.
Christian Estrosi, President of Region Provence-Alpes-Cote d’ Azur; Rudy Salles, Deputy Mayor of Nice; and Denis Zanon, Director General of Nice Convention and Visitors Bureau attended the signing ceremony at Nice City Hall.
Other Nice officials and the Xiamen delegation led by Yang also witnessed the event.
Xiamen, a port city in the southeastern part of Fujian Province, will host the carnival on April 29-May 1 in Jimei District, according to China Daily.
Xiamen authorities named the Nice Carnival in China as “A Moveable Feast,” after American author Ernest Hemingway’s (1899-1961) memoir first published in 1964.
In his memoir, Hemingway painted an image of 1920’s Paris as he chronicled his experiences as a young writer residing in that city.
Though the Nice Carnival apparently is the main highlight, Xiamen’s tourism bureau will fill the 3-day affair with art, cultural and fashion events, many of which will be held at the Citizens’ Square.
Gastronomic delights come in the form of Asian and Mediterranean cuisines to be served in some food stalls.
Carnival King
One of the biggest, most renowned carnival celebrations in the world, Nice Carnival traces its roots back to the Middle Ages.
The French Riviera’s two-week winter event proceeded with its 133rd edition on Feb. 11-25, with the theme, “King of Energy,” according to its official website.
At present, more than 1,000 dancers and musicians from across the globe join the parade. The carnival processions feature 17 floats.
One of Nice Carnival’s unique spectacles is the “flower battle,” where “extravagantly dressed characters throw out mimosas, gerberas, and lilies into the public.”
The next edition, “King of Space,” will run from Feb. 17 until March 3, 2018.
Garden on the Sea
On that same contract signing day, according to Imagetrans Group, the Xiamen Municipal Bureau of Tourism organized “Fresh Fujian, Beautiful Xiamen” at Nice City Hall.
Some 150 French and Monaco tourism authorities along with members of the media and tour operators attended the event.
Yang, in her speech, proclaimed Xiamen as the “Garden on the Sea.”
She went on introducing some of the city’s unique offerings, such as the Kung Fu Tea produced through a traditional brewing method and the Fujian Tulou (earthen buildings).
The ancient Mooncake Dice Game, originated during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911/12), elicited amusement from the audience.
Xiamen became an “international friendship city” with Nice in 2014, according to What’s On Xiamen.
