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File photo: The World Choir Games

The World Choir Games will be held in New Zealand's largest city Auckland next week, with 88 Chinese choirs numbering among the 250 choirs of 11,000 singers from more than 40 countries and regions.

A total of 55 children's choirs are visiting, including the world's first and only choir for hearing-impaired children, the Little Dolphin Hearing Disabled Children's Choir from the Chinese municipality of Tianjin, organizers said.

The event, running from July 10 to July 20, will include competitions, workshops, ceremonies and concerts, ­organizers said, adding that choirs will collectively perform 82 hours of uninterrupted music in the various competition categories, with another 125 hours of singing in the Friendship Concerts.

The Games' Executive Director Kylie Sealy said that, as the biggest choral music event New Zealand has ever hosted, it will showcase the beauty of the country to more than 9,000 people traveling from overseas.

The Games, established in 2000 and held every two years, has become the largest international choral competition and festival in the world, unifying people and nations in fair ­competition through song and placing personality and team spirit over competitive outcomes, Sealy said.

Thirty-six jurors from across the globe will assess the ­performances and award prizes in 28 competitive categories at two separate competition levels, Open and Champions. 

At the award ceremonies, many choirs would be in their national costume, and winners often came to the stage with their flags and sang their national anthems.