The China International Circus Festival (top), the WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai (above left) and Airshow China are the major events held in Zhuhai. [Photos Provided to CHINA DAILY]

A series of high-profile events will be held in Zhuhai in the coming months of this year, bringing excitement to both local residents and visitors.

Spectators will be thrilled by engrossing sports contests and stunning acrobatic and aerobatic performances.

The first event will be the 2016 National Sailing Championships, the largest event of its kind in China. It will open on Oct. 18, with Jiuzhou Port as the main site and Xianglu Port as the secondary location.

The sailing event will be followed by an international air show, an international women’s tennis tournament and an international circus festival in November.

The 11th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition and the second WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai will be held from Nov. 1 to 6.

The biennial exhibition, also known as Airshow China, is the only international aviation show endorsed by the Chinese government. It is designed to showcase China’s national defense strength and achievements in aviation, aerospace and equipment manufacturing.

This year’s event will be upgraded both in size and scope, according to the organizers. It will exhibit some 130 airplanes and has attracted more than 700 Chinese and overseas exhibitors from 42 countries and regions.

A dynamic demonstration area will be set up, on which more than 10 kinds of military and civil equipment pieces, such as an armored tank and a defense-oriented assault vehicle, will provide on-site performances.

Another major highlight will be the British Royal Air Force Aerobatics Team, or the Red Arrows. They will participate in the event for the first time and put on a 26-minute top-level aerobatic performance. The Red Arrows is one of the most experienced aerobatics teams in the world.

The second edition of the WTA Elite Trophy will take place at the city’s Hengqin International Tennis Center.

Women players with world rankings from nine to 19 will compete for $2.21 million in prize money during the competition. German legend Steffi Graf is serving as the event’s promotions ambassador and has promised to attend the event.

“Such a prestigious event in the beautiful city of Zhuhai will go a long way towards supporting the expansion of women’s tennis,” the 22-time Grand Slam winner said.

For the first time the Savour food festival, which originated in Singapore, will be part of the tournament, offering spectators a gustatory feast provided by top chefs from Michelin-starred restaurants around the world.

The last event in November will be the third China International Circus Festival, which will take place from Nov. 18 to 27. From this year, the formerly biennial event will be held annually.

Featuring dazzling stunts, troupes from 17 countries are expected to attend the event.

“Zhuhai already has an excellent living environment and has undergone sound economic development, but it will benefit from the grand events, be they sporting, cultural or industrial,” said Peng Peng, a researcher with Guangzhou Academy of Social Sciences.

“The events will help publicize the city and make premium resources including talented people, capital and global technologies more easily available, which are all necessary for Zhuhai to grow into an international livable city.”

The events, along with infrastructure facilities, are necessary for a city to achieve such a goal, he said.

“It is essential that people in an international livable city have convenient access to a wide array of international events as well as well-developed facilities,” he explained.

Zhuhai won the top honor in the 2016 report on urban livability competitiveness, released jointly on May 30 by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and the China Social Sciences Press. This is the third consecutive year that the city has been rated the country’s most livable city by the annual report. Zhuhai’s success is a result of the steps it has taken to improve its social environment, ecology, living environment and public facilities.

It is expected that Zhuhai will become an international livable city by the end of the 13th Five-Year plan period (2016-2020).

Original link: http://chinawatch.washingtonpost.com/2016/08/global-events-to-boost-citys-development