Since the creation of a float decorated with roses in Los Angeles more than a century ago, holding float parades during big events has become very popular around the world.

In recent years, a lot of big cities in China, such as Shanghai, Hong Kong and Guangzhou, have held a number of float parades with different styles.

A float parade is now a must-have event for the promotion of a city's tourism image.

The Guangdong International Travel and Culture Festival has featured a float parade since its launch in 2005, and this year's festival will see more floats than in the previous parades.

Last year, organizers of the parade had asked people to vote for their favorite float.

More than 200,000 people took part in the voting, with some voting during the parade, and others via Internet or mobile phone after the parade was over.

In keeping with tradition, each float this year will be decorated with pictures and other images of a city, a province, or a country's distinctive tourism features.

The 36 floats in the parade will represent 21 cities of Guangdong Province, nine provinces and two special administrative regions of the Pan Pearl River Delta (PPRD), the City of Hami of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, the New South Wales State of Australia, Kyushu City of Japan, and an international association of friendship cities.

The decorated floats will be parked in Tianhe Sports Center to await the beginning of the parade, which will be held in two sessions.

First, as part of the opening ceremony on November 23, the parade will circle the Tianhe Track and Field Stadium, the venue of the ceremony.

For the second session, the floats parade will pass downtown Guangzhou at 10:30 am and 8 pm on November 24 and 25, and at 8 pm on November 26.

The parade route in downtown Guangzhou begins at the east gate of Tianhe Sports Center. The floats will be driven through Tiyudong Road, Tianhe Road, Tianhelijiao, Tianhedingceng, Huanshilu and Dabeilijiao, and then return to the sports center along the same route.

The parade has received sponsorship from a number of organizations, such as GZL International Travel Service Ltd and Guangzhou Chime-Long Group Co Ltd. (By Qi Wen)