The seventh Love Knows No Borders international charity bazaar opened outside National Stadium, also known as the Bird's Nest, in Beijing on Sunday. The event, with the theme "A Tribute to Rural Teachers in Yunnan", was hosted by Qian Wei, the wife of Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

"The funds raised will go to helping teachers working under harsh conditions at primary and secondary schools in Jinping and Malipo counties of Yunnan province," Qian said.

"Such assistance will help to ease the pressure on teachers working in remote, poor and mountainous areas and encourage them to continue their contribution to the cause of education for all."

More than 60 foreign embassies, representative offices of international organizations and companies from both home and abroad participated in the event.

"Many embassies in Beijing gather today at the National Stadium, which represents the spirit of the Olympics and harmony, to call for our entire society to offer compassion and support for social relief and welfare programs in poverty-stricken areas in China," Victor Sikonina, Madagascar's ambassador to China, said at the opening ceremony.

"The charity sale is great in that it is attached to assisting education in disadvantaged, mountainous areas," said Filip Vandenbroeke, counselor for the economic section of the Belgian embassy.

The Belgian embassy's stall provided copies of The Adventures of Tintin, a comic series created by Belgian cartoonist Georges Remi in 1929. The series features Tintin, a young Belgian reporter exploring the world aided by his faithful fox terrier dog, Snowy.

The charity sale was also an occasion for cultural demonstrations and exchanges.

"Selling our artifacts and food is a way to introduce Chinese people to our culture," said Dhanushka Karunaratne, the third secretary for tea promotion with the Sri Lankan embassy.

"My kid grows up in Beijing and gets to experience different cultures today, but children in the poverty-stricken areas in Yunnan province don't," said Hua Ning, a Beijing resident.

"I believe that it is of great importance to break the circle of generations of poverty, so that children in different parts of the country can enjoy relatively equal access to education."