Over 10,000 fans of Chinese popular music, television and sport arrived at GM Place Saturday night for the musical variety show, Our Chinese Heart, billed as the “biggest Sino-event” ever in North America.
Vancouver mayor Sam Sullivan got in on the act, speaking in both Mandarin and Cantonese about the city’s continuing relationship with China and our own upcoming 2010 Olympics. B.C. Attorney General Wally Oppal took the stage to warm the house, while Liberal MP Ujjal Dosanjh shared some laughs from one of the best seats in the stadium.
But it was singer Kelly Chen Hui Ling, star of the closing ceremonies of the Beijing Olympic Games, that had the crowd up on its feet singing and swaying to her pop songs.
Chinese Olympic Gold Medalists Wenna He (trampoline) and Man Zhong (sabre) also spoke to the crowd, with Man pulling out his sword to
poke fun at the emcee – literally.
Our Chinese Heart has become one of China Central Television International’s most successful programs, and will be telecast at a later date to over 1 billion Chinese worldwide.
Proceeds from the two-hour-plus show were donated to the Sichuan Earthquake Relief Fund in the form of a 10,000 cheque. Here are some photos from the big night, courtesy of Heinz Rukemann and Wilson Lau.
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