The Highly Anticipated Event for Chinese Families Worldwide: the 3rd "ji" Debutant Ball in Shanghai

SHANGHAI, December 13, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The 3rd Ji Debutant Ball will be held at the Waldorf Astoria Shanghai on the Bund in late March 2013.

Ji is the traditional hair-pinning ceremony for Chinese girls. Dating back to Late Shang Dynasty, the ceremony was documented in the Rites of Zhou. A detailed accounting of the ritual for one of the princesses of the Song Dynasty was meticulously given in the History of Song. Other rituals expected of the offspring of illustrious Chinese families include the capping ceremony - the placing of one's hair in a bun or topknot and the wearing of a cap - for men when they reach the age of 20.

With the interest in Chinese culture being generated all over the world, the Ji Debutant Ball that is held in tandem with the hair-pinning ceremony brings together a Chinese tradition dating back nearly 2,500 years with the European-style "coming out" event for young ladies in the West. It is quickly becoming the world's most compelling social platform for Chinese families.

• The Ball has the support of luminaries and leaders from all walks of life across China with the aim of introducing at least 15 young ladies between the ages 15 (the Age of Hair-Pinning) and 24 (the Age of Flowering) from eminent Chinese families into the global social community. The vision of the Ball is to create a social platform for Chinese families through the event, promote a Chinese culture enriched with the legacy of poetry and etiquette and revive Chinese painting and calligraphy. The organizers seek to create a Chinese version of Jacqueline Kennedy's own "coming out" event.
• It is an invitation-only event: the young ladies who receive the honor of an invitation are nominated through the internationally-recognized recommendation system of a nominator committee
• The criteria for nomination: well-cultured, attractive, elegant and finely-figured young ladies from illustrious Chinese families.

To date 13 members of eminent families have attended the Ji Debutant Ball, including the daughter of Macao casino magnate Stanley Ho and the granddaughter of China's former deputy prime minister who also served a defense minister. The hairpins - the symbol of the entry into adulthood - were inserted into these young ladies's hair by their parents, representing the culmination of a ceremony witnessed by the hundred celebrities who were in attendance.

The ladies attending the Ball were squired by young cavalier from illustrious families, including the sons of business leaders in Hong Kong and grandsons of successful businessmen and the founding fathers. The 2013 Ji Debutant Ball will open its doors to the sons and daughters of eminent families across the world for the first time with a focus on Chinese-language learners.

Ji Cheng Celebration Co., the organizer of the Ball, invites calligraphers to present their rendering of the Chinese character "Ji" each year in a move to demonstrate the depth and sophistication of Chinese culture.

For more information about the Ji Debutant Ball, please visit http://www.JIDBAll.com.

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