Events and stories coming up in the next few days

12,000 delegates to attend major trade forum in Xi'an

The Silk Road International Expo and the 20th Investment and Trade Forum for Cooperation between East and West China will be held from Friday to Tuesday in Xi'an, Shaanxi province. The theme of the annual event is New Platform, New Opportunity, New Development. More than 12,000 officials and entrepreneurs from 37 countries will attend the event. Topics for discussion will include streamlining customs declarations, tourism and business cooperation.

Shanghai sporting show attracts 1,100 companies

The 35th China International Sporting Goods Show will open at the National Exhibition and Convention Center in Shanghai on Tuesday. The three-day show is one of the major professional events for the sports industry in China. With an exhibition area of 200,000 square meters and five themed zones, the show is expected to attract more than 1,100 enterprises from home and abroad.

Japanese troupe returns with The White-Haired Girl

Japan's Matsuyama Ballet Troupe will begin its 15th tour of China on Friday to mark 45 years of the normalization of diplomatic relations between the two countries. The troupe's ballet The White-Haired Girl premiered in Tokyo in 1955 and was staged in China in 1958. The ballet will be performed in Beijing and Shanghai.

Free admission to many attractions on tourism day

Friday marks National Tourism Day, which is celebrated in commemoration of Xu Xiake, a geographer and traveler in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). Many tourist attractions across the country, including those in Jiangxi, Anhui and Henan provinces and Shanghai, will offer free admission or discounted tickets to mark the occasion.