The 2020 Qingdao International Sailing Week and Qingdao International Marine Festival, a major sailing event in the coastal city of Shandong province, will be held from Aug 8 to 16.

According to the organizers, nearly 40 activities will be held during the event, including sailing competitions, cultural exchanges, match-making sessions, fitness activities and tourism promotions.

Seven sailing competitions will be highlighted. The Shandong Peninsula City Sailing Race, the Coastal City Sailing Race, the "Langya Cup" Sailing Race and the "Qingdao - Shenzhen" Twin Cities Sailing Race will be held for the first time.

Concerts, ocean exhibitions, short video competitions, marine-themed lectures and land-sea cruise carnivals will also take place during the festival.

Qingdao, dubbed China's "Sailing Capital", has earned global recognition for its international sailing events. [Photo/qingdaonews.com]

Global organizations such as the World Union of Olympic Cities and the International Sailing Federation, Qingdao's sister and cooperative cities such as Barcelona in Spain and Kiel in Germany, as well as international partners will also participate in the event via online channels.

In light of the epidemic, the organizing committee will launch a series of measures to safeguard public health. Many live-action drills and emergency response drills have been conducted in preparation for the event.

Staff will disinfect facilities every day, measure temperatures of attendees and check the health QR codes of everyone entering the competition venue. People from medium- and high-risk areas are not permitted to participate in the event.

Qingdao boasts a spectacular oceanfront playground for all kinds of water sports along its 863-kilometer shoreline. The city is considered China's sailing capital and has a thriving water sports industry. It has hosted several world-class sailing events, including the Olympic Sailing Regatta in 2008, the Extreme Sailing Series, the Clipper Round the World Race and the ISAF Sailing World Cup.

A poster for the 2020 Qingdao International Sailing Week and Qingdao International Marine Festival [Photo/WeChat account: qdfbwx]