Royal Danish Embassy hold Open Denmark Day 2013

The 25th of May the Royal Danish Embassy in Beijing held the annual Open Denmark Day in order to showcase Danish culture, high quality food and Danish design to more than 3,800 Chinese guests. The Open Denmark Day celebrates the friendship between Denmark and China and strengthening the knowledge of Denmark in China.


More than 3,800 guests visited the Embassy. 2,200 were invited through the Embassy micro blog.

Through the theme "Fairytale for the future – Fairyland for Health, Creativeness and Experience" the Chinese visitors was presented to some of the best examples of Danish products, ideas and concepts, including many new products such as fur furniture and Danish organic milk.

“I am really happy to open the Embassy’s doors to the Chinese citizens and to give our Chinese guests a taste of Danish culture, food and design. I hope that the event will encourage more Chinese to travel to Denmark to study and experience our country,” says Friis Arne Petersen, Ambassador of Denmark to China.


Ambassador Friis Arne Petersen (front right) gives the welcoming speech at the Open Denmark Day.



Highlights on the day

The Open Denmark Day had many highlights, including a speech by the Ambassador, and a special Kid’s Corner with Danish toys, furniture and clothing available for playing, viewing and purchasing while the children meanwhile the children had the possibility to enjoy Danish organic milk. The Open Denmark Day also offered to guests the possibility to win gifts from the companies when 3 lucky draws took place during the day. Among the gifts can be mentioned children’s clothing, jewellery, designer glasses and the grant prize; a princess bed.

Throughout the entire day the Danish “Michelin” star chef John Kofod Pedersen demonstrated famous New Nordic Cooking by making a special menu consisting of pig shank in tureen with apples and celeriac, hay marinated salmon with smoked fresh cheese and red berry pudding with fresh cream. The visitors tasted the delicious New Danish cuisine, as well as authentic beer from a Danish castle while enjoying sweet Danish butter cookies and the chance to drink Danish organic milk.

The day also included a variety of Danish and European culture including short movies about European and Chinese relationships and love stories, the photo exhibition: ”People to People”, and guided tours of the Ambassador’s residence displaying quality Danish furniture, design and art.

In the afternoon Professor Gu Binglin, former President of Tsinghua University and alumni of the Danish University Aarhus University, gave a lecture on his experiences of studying in Denmark. During the day there was also a CSR awareness talk followed by a Q&A-session where visitors asked questions about Danish CSR policy.


Sina Weibo guests

More than 2.100 guests out of the total of more than 3.800 guests had registered for the Open Denmark Day event through the Embassy’s micro blog on Sina.com. Two lucky Sina Weibo guests, who had won a competition on Weibo run by the Danish Embassy, received a bag with gifts from the Danish companies participating in the Open Denmark Day.

20 Danish companies and organisations active in the Chinese market showcased their products and services during the event. The companies: Kopenhagen Fur, Arla, Flexa, LEGO, Erfurt, House of Amber, LINDBERG, Post Danmark, TICKET OUTDOOR, SAS, Danish Center, Fjerhuset, Krenkerup, Carlsberg, Rosendahl, Bang and Olufsen and Kjeldsen. The organisations: Scandinavian Tourist Board andSino-Danish Network  participated by informing the Chinese about travelling and studying in Denmark The Danish state controlled organic label had a booth to inform the Chinese on the Danish high quality certification system.