First culture, arts festival kicks off in Tibet

Traditional Tibetan music, songs, operas and dramas were on display on Tuesday night at the Jincheng Princess Theater in Lhasa, Tibet autonomous region, for the opening of the region's culture and arts festival.

It is the first such event in the 57 years since the region's founding in 1965. Representative intangible culture shows will be presented over the next few weeks.

Lai Jiao, a regional Party Committee official, attended the opening ceremony on behalf of the committee and government. He said that because the 20th National Congress of the CPC will be held this year, the region is hosting the grand festival to embrace that event.

Ming Wenjun, official with the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, said he hopes that Tibet will cherish the opportunity to turn the festival into a comprehensive literary and artistic competition platform.

"I hope more high-quality artworks reflecting the artistic level of Tibet — and works with a genuine Tibetan flavor — will be created and launched in the future," Ming said.

Activities for the festival also include competitions for folk songs, youth singing, Tibetan Opera and creative design.

Currently, the region has about 2,800 items of intangible cultural heritage, and around 40,000 performances are held every year. The region has nearly 100,000 people engaged in culture and art performances, according to local government.