主播大秀

China has a rich and varied history and to mark the 29th Olympiad in Beijing this August, events are taking place all over the country to mark this great sporting occasion.听

York finds itself at the centre of the region's celebrations of Chinese heritage and culture with exhibitions, music, dance and much more right throughout 2008.

Here's a rundown of some of the events taking place...

Fairfax House

The 'A Taste for China' exhibition (23rd June to 31st December) gives visitors a chance to discover more about the visions of the East as re-told by the first travellers who ventured to China more than 500 years ago.

Chinese porcelain bowl.

Explore how 18th century craftsmen used Chinese motifs to inspire their designs with the Chinoiserie Decoration tours. There will also be an opportunity to find out more about tea and tea tasting with an illustrated talk exploring the history of the tea trade.

York Castle Museum

Their new exhibition - Chinese Reflections - brings together textiles, ceramics, fans, porcelain, textiles and much more from the museum's fascinating collection of Oriental artefacts, along with a look at how the Chinese community of today has influenced the city.

There will also be children's activities in the school holidays including Chinese mask making, horoscope workshops, Chinese music and fan making sessions.

Mother-of-pearl gaming counters.

The National Railway Museum

China is the last major country to still run steam locomotives and the NRM is celebrating China 08 with a multi-sensory Easter Chinese festival with an action packed programme of activities.

The Last Days of China Steam is an exhibition of photographs taken by Michael Rhodes. He's been photographing the end of steam in China.

Children's activities are running during the school holidays and in August the NRM will be breaking new ground by hosting an exhibition solely on their website with a fascinating view of China's railways in the 21st century.

National Centre for Early Music

Throughout the year the NCEM will be welcoming Chinese musicians to their wonderful venue on Walmgate in York. They are hosting a concert in the magnificent surroundings of Harewood House, surrounded by some of the most exquisite Chinese porcelain ever made.

This is just a small selection of the wonderful events that will be taking place across York this year.

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