2017 Ottawa (Canada)
From July 27 to 30, 2017, the city government of Ottawa invited, with the support of the Chinese embassy in Canada, ‘Loongma’ as an envoy of the Chinese people. It traveled thousands of miles to the Canadian capital of Ottawa to take part in the ceremonial performance held to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the establishment of the Canadian Confederation.
Ottawa saw a massive turnout, and the Canada National TV reported that “In 4 days’ time, a total of 750,000 citizens took part in and admired the event, breaking a record for outdoor activities in Ottawa.”
Prior to this ceremony, Ottawa’s city government had publicly announced the following: “In 2017, we will celebrate the 150th anniversary of the founding of the Canadian Confederation. To this purpose, ‘Loongma’ will serve as a cultural envoy: by participating in crucial global events, it has shaped a positive Chinese outlook, and we’re proud that Ottawa can be the first stop on the North-American continent to be visited by ‘Loongma’.
The Ottawa Citizen reported on the visit as follows: “‘Loongma’ is a successful attempt at establishing a collective sense of confidence. As a non-commercial event, all of its performances were free of charge.”
The Ottawa Sun reported as follows: “A total of 600 vendors from the Byward Market in the Ottawa city center have jointly published an open letter to thank the city’s governmental organizations for the commercial opportunies in the wake of the ‘Loongma’ tour. In four days’ time, total spending by residents (on accommodation etc.) amounted to 320 million Canadian dollars, which caused the market to regain its long-lost vitality.”
