China Scores High in Showcasing Traditional Culture in Olympics

China has been doing well in presenting its traditional culture through hosting the Olympic Games, an official of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) said on Saturday.

"The Olympic venues and facilities could be a showcase of a country's own culture, and hosting nations should devote to spreading the Olympic spirit," said He Zhenliang, Chairman of the IOC's Commission for Culture and Olympic Education.

He, 79, is also the honorary chairman of the Chinese Olympic Committee and a former IOC vice-chairman.

The hosting of Olympics is a milestone in both the Olympic movement and the history of China's communication with the outside world, He told Xinhua.

"China has learnt (from the experience of the hosting the Games) to communicate with the outside world in a better way, and to be more tolerant of different cultures of the world," he said.

As thousands of athletes and journalists took home their experiences in China, this will be very helpful in promoting mutual understanding between China and the rest of the world, and in promoting world peace, said He.

"I believe the British will try their best to show their culture to the world at the 2012 London Olympic Games. To be held in places around the world and branded with culture of different regions, that's where the Olympic charm lies," He said.

(Xinhua News Agency August 16, 2008)

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