For a moment it felt like being in some part of China.
(36) , Chinese snacks, lion and dragon dances, even lucky
(37) wrapped in red paper, everything, well almost everything.
(38) with Spring Festival was there. But all that was
happening in London, in British capital’s Chinatown, to be precise.
The parade that (39) its way yesterday from Chinatown
to Trafalgar Square, welcoming the Year of the Rat. had something for every
visitor (40) in the celebrations of the local Chinese
community. Red lanterns lit up the Chinatown (41)
. and mascots of the 2008 Beijing and 2012 London Olympic Games added
extra color to the festivities. The celebrations began on
February 6 when UK and Chinese Olympic (42) at Oxford Circus
switched on the newly designed Chinese lanterns for the two-month-long "China in
London" festival The athletes included British 400m Olympic
(43) and former BMX biker Iwan Thomas, former Olympic
triple-jump champion Jonathan Edwards, and Chinese Olympic gold medalist Tian
Liang, known as the "Prince of Diving." A stuntman took to a
14-foot ramp, performing extreme BMX (bicycle motor-cross riding) skits high in
the air. (44) . London’s most prestigious
cultural organizations, such as the British Museum, will hold more than 500
events during the third "China in London" festival. (45)
. Illustrating the importance of the festival, London
Mayor Ken Livingstone said: " (46) ". which will continue to
grow as we approach the Beijing Games.