Jan Tops, president of LGCT, Mr. Li Li, vice president of Longines China, Ms. Zhang Xinmei, deputy general manager of Shanghai Jiushi Corporation, and Scott Brash, representatives of the competitors attended the press conference. They jointly announced that Shanghai Longines Global Champions Tour would open on May 8. On the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the establishment of the diplomatic relations between China and Europe, 2015 Shanghai Longines Global Champions Tour is bound to be part of the Sino-European cultural dialogue. After the press conference, Beijing Opera was introduced to the star riders.
First, an actor wearing the headwear and archery clothes typical of ancient Chinese generals caught people’s attention and won people’s applauses with his robust riding on a horse. Then, star riders including Jane Richard, Longines Ambassador of Elegance and Swiss well-known rider, made an impressive stage pose with their left hands holding their robes and their right hands slightly raising their horsewhips.
The European culture represented by the equestrian sport with a history of 700 years, and the Chinese one symbolized by Beijing Opera with a history of nearly 200 years echoed each other in contrasted style, not only bringing the fusion and interaction of Chinese and Western cultures, but stretching the traditional equestrian culture by Oriental cultural essence as well.
