The closing ceremony for the 8th National Traditional Games of Ethnic Minorities concluded at Guangzhou Gymnasium at 20:00, November 18th. With the flag for the games being lowered, the torch died out after burning for nine days consecutively.

The 8th National Traditional Games of Ethnic Minorities is the greatest in its history. In total, 34 delegations composed of 15,000 persons from 55 ethnic nationalities took part in the Games and competed in 15 sports events and 148 performances. In addition, it is the first time that the Games were held in a developed coastal city instead of a region where ethnic groups gather.

At the ceremony, Mayor Zhang Guangning handed over the flag for the Games to Dondrub Wangben, Vice Minister of the State Ethnic Affairs Commission, who then passed the flag to Liu Hongxiu, Governor of Guizhou Province where the 9th National Traditional Games of Ethnic Minorities will be held in 2011.

(Translated by Guangzhou Association of Foreign Affairs Translators)

Source : english.gz.gov.cn