Sport and art came together in central London yesterday as the next Olympic host city launched a festival to celebrate the upcoming Beijing Olympic Games.

A giant screen has been installed in Trafalgar Square, which will broadcast the Games each day from 8 am to 9 pm as of today when the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics unfolds.

The screen will remain on the square until the Olympic handover ceremony on Aug. 24, so Londoners can witness their mayor receiving the Olympic flag on behalf of London and the rest of Britain.

The Taiji practised by 15 Chinese people accompanied by traditional Chinese music and a dazzling performance of Kung Fu by four young men from the Shaolin Temple, the cradle of Chinese Kung Fu, fascinated spectators.

The Trafalgar Square Festival this year marks the opening of Beijing Games and the countdown of London's takeover as the next Olympic host city.

The three-week festival is divided into three parts: China Inspirations, Olympics Aspirations, and Image of London.