If you like the taste of that pilsner foam, you'll feel right at home in Dalian this weekend.

Beer enthusiasts from China and across the globe will celebrate the 2004 China International Beer Festival held in this port city in Northeast China's Liaoning Province from July 29 to August 9.

Called a beer carnival, the event is expected to attract more than 100 brewers and sales agents from home and abroad, said Wang Shuren with the China Light Industry International Exchange Centre.

During the festival, participants and tourists can taste beers produced by four domestic beer giants-Tsingtao Brewery Group, China Resources Breweries, Beijing Yanjing Bear Group Co and Gangzhou Zhujiang Beer Group Co. Famous global beer brands such as Budweiser and Heineken will also have their lager on tap.

Experts said the festival is a way to feature beer, and to highlight the competition in the market, which has seen a number of brewery mergers and acquisitions this year. The event is sponsored by the China National Light Industry Council.

(china.org.cn July 27, 2004)