CHINA: Hong Kong film star Jackie Chan takes time out to promote the Beijing Olympics

Record ID: 614884

  • Title: CHINA: Hong Kong film star Jackie Chan takes time out to promote the Beijing Olympics
  • Date: 14th February 2008
  • Summary: (ASIA) HONG KONG, CHINA (FEBRUARY 11, 2008) (REUTERS) JACKIE CHAN STANDING NEXT TO A HORSE CAMERA CREW AT WORK CHAN MAKING FUNNY EXPRESSION AFTER A BAD TAKE CAMERA CREW SHOOTING CHAN'S PROMOTIONAL VIDEO (SOUNDBITE) (Cantonese) MOVIE STAR JACKIE CHAN SAYING: "This year most of my time will be spent on promoting the Olympics." VARIOUS OF MAKE-UP ARTIST CLEANING CHAN'S COAT CAMERA CREW AT WORK CHAN'S FACE CHAN SAYING TO CAMERA: " See you in Hong Kong 2008, Olympic Equestrian Co-host City." DIRECTOR AT WORK (SOUNDBITE) (Cantonese) MOVIE STAR JACKIE CHAN SAYING: "The Olympics isn't just about sport, it encompasses love, solidarity and a kind of spirit. In this age, it's necessary to do more to promote sports, so that children don't just sit at home and play computer games." VARIOUS OF CHAN RIDING A HORSE
  • Embargoed: 29th February 2008 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: China
  • Country: China
  • Topics: Entertainment
  • Reuters ID: LVAEM6KXQMTIM2V5VFU6I6FKXLVE
  • Story Text: Hong Kong Hollywood Kung Fu star Jackie Chan will take time out this year to promote the Beijing Olympics and recently saddled up for a video to promote equestrian events.
    While Kung Fu may be more his thing, Chan happily pulled on his horse riding boots and hard helmet to publicise Hong Kong's fringe Olympics role this summer, with Beijing having switched equestrian events to the city after it failed to establish a disease-free zone for horses.

    "See you in Hong Kong 2008, Olympic equestrian co-host city,"
    said Chan while holding the reins of a dark former racehorse called "Fortune Tycoon," as the cameras rolled at the Hong Kong Jockey Club's Beas River country club, which will host some of the former British colony's Olympics equestrian events this summer.
    Hong Kong will be one of only a handful of cities to host Olympics events outside of Beijing this summer. The north-eastern city of Qingdao is another and will host a few watersports events.
    As a goodwill envoy for the Beijing Olympics, Chan has devoted himself this year to promoting the Games, and has taken part in activities including running the Olympic torch in Greece and recording an Olympics countdown song.
    He's also appeared in prominent Olympics-themed commercials for credit card giant Visa, alongside Chinese basketball star Yao Ming.

    "The Olympics isn't just about sport, it encompasses love, solidarity and a kind of spirit," the star of movies like Rush Hour and Rumble in the Bronx told Reuters.
    Chan who normally has a manic schedule juggling film, charity and business interests, says that he will take a break from movies this year to publicise the Beijing Games until they kick off in August.
    Besides the economic spinoffs from the Games, Chan, who was trained in martial arts and acrobatics as a child, expressed the hope that the spirit of the Olympiad would rub off on the current generation of children raised in the internet age.

    "In this age, it's necessary to do more to promote sports, so that children don't just sit at home and play computer games," he said.
    Hong Kong tourism officials are also hoping to leverage Chan's star appeal in promoting the its Olympic equestrian events, which could boost tourism and boost the city's aspirations to become an entertainment hub in Asia.
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