East China's Shandong province recently started its annual intangible cultural heritage month celebration in Jinan, the provincial capital.

The month-long festive cultural extravaganza kicked off with a gala evening at the Shandong Theater on Jan 16, which staged a dazzling show along the Yellow River featuring cultural heritage items.

Cultural heritage performances from the Yellow River Basin are highlighted at the opening ceremony of the Shandong intangible cultural heritage month on Jan 16. [Photo/ccmapp.cn]

Performances, which served up a visual feast for audiences, highlighted unique intangible culture from Qinghai, Gansu, Ningxia Hui autonomous region, Inner Mongolia autonomous region, Shaanxi, Shanxi, Sichuan, Henan and Shandong.

The Yellow River, known as China's "Mother River" and the cradle of early Chinese civilization, runs through nine provinces and autonomous regions. It empties into the Bohai Sea in Dongying, Shandong province.

The Yellow River Basin sustains a population of 420 million people, or 30.3 percent of the nation's total, and a GDP of 2.39 trillion yuan ($343 billion), or 26.5 percent of the national total, as of the end of 2018.

Performers pose for a group photo at the opening ceremony of the Shandong intangible cultural heritage month, which will last until Feb 24. [Photo/ccmapp.cn]

Lasting until Feb 24, the intangible cultural heritage month, organized by the Shandong Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, is designed to promote the protection and utilization of the province's rich cultural legacies as well as enrich people's lives and boost cultural consumption.

According to Shandong authorities, a total of 659 activities will be held across the province during the year's edition, including an intangible cultural heritage Spring Festival shopping fair, a creative design competition themed on intangible cultural heritage and tourism, and a series of activities involving traditional New Year paintings.