The 2018 Yangtze River Art and Culture Festival runs from Oct 31 to Nov 14 in Zhangjiagang, Jiangsu province to celebrate and bring together the cultures and arts of the 12 provinces along the Yangtze River.

This year’s festival features a variety of cultural events, including the 6th International Humor Art Week and the 8th Yangtze River Drama Festival, from October 31 to mid-November and a series of symposiums on the protection of Yangtze River culture, and poetry readings.

Located at the southern bank of the Yangtze, Zhangjiagang is nourished with Yangtze River culture and dedicated to cultural and art development in recent years.

It’s the 15th year the city is organizing the festival, coinciding with the 40th anniversary of China's reform and opening-up.

The gala focuses on innovative creativity and the richness of the contents with the aim of creating a "platform of communication, integration, working together and sharing".

To mark four decades of the magnificent changes and international vision along the Yangtze River, various events will be held, including traditional Jiangsu operas and symposiums covering topics like literature, culture and drama around the Yangtze River basin.