CRI听力:Beijingers Embrace Beer to Cool down in Summer

The second Beijing CRD International Beer Festival is set to kick off next month in a special outdoor venue in Shijingshan Amusement Park, in the west of Beijing. Beside beers coming from America, Spain, Portugal, Canada, Australia, Japan, and Belgium, visitors will also enjoy performances, carnivals, drinking contests, dress parties and campfire parties.

The festival has attracted visitors even before the event has begun. Liu Jing lives nearby and she says she will definitely come and have a look.

"I've never attended a beer festival before. I'm looking forward to it. I want to enjoy beer and the performance. Maybe I'll be lucky enough to win a gift. It'll be totally different from drinking at home or in a restaurant. The atmosphere here is livelier and that gives me a thirst for beer."

The local government intends to promote the area as a cultural and recreation center, with the beer festival being one drawcard through which more visitors will be drawn to the area.

Last year they focused on the combination of football and beer. Breweries reported increased profits and the event proved to be a resounding success.

What sets this year's festival apart from all others is that it has many beer labels on tap which are rarely seen around the area. Some are entering the Chinese market for the first time. These brands use traditional hand-made brewing methods, instead of being produced from industrialized lines.

Simon Pendergast, general manager of a major supplier.

"This festival is quite an exciting one because it's in a different part of Beijing where we haven't penetrated that well so far. But Chinese people like beer. They enjoy drinking beer. One of the things we're finding across China is that they want to try different beers: not just foreigners here, but more so the Chinese."

If you are interested in cooling down with an ice cold beer, the time to taste the splendor of the world's most popular brew is from August 12th to August the 28th when an endless flow of chilled golden goodness awaits in Beijing.

For CRI, this is Xiangwei.