The Little Mermaid's birthday bash kicks off
Shanghai, 22/8/2010
Four boys in the uniform of the Danish royal bodyguard played flutes and drums yesterday near the pool of the Denmark Pavilion where the Little Mermaid sits, launching a three-day celebration of the icon's 97th anniversary.
Tomorrow's birthday is the first to be celebrated outside Copenhagen since the statue was placed on the edge of the city's harbor on August 23, 1913. Tomorrow's celebrations will begin with a splash at 10am. Three synchronized swimmers will perform the Little Mermaid story written by Hans Christian Andersen in the pool. Girls of all ages will be invited to jump into the water to celebrate the birthday, a tradition in Denmark. Tomorrow, visitors will be allowed to sit on a large stone which was brought from Copenhagen harbor, to pose like the Little Mermaid for pictures.
