East China's Shandong province kicked off a series of celebrations for this year's national Cultural and Natural Heritage Day on June 13 in the coastal city of Yantai.

Traditional martial arts, Haiyang yangko (a rural folk dance popular in Haiyang, Yantai), opera and other representative intangible cultural heritage forms in Shandong were performed at the opening ceremony.

Practitioners of traditional medicine and cuisine, handicrafts and arts were also invited to showcase their skills to the public.

Wang Tingqi, deputy director of the Shandong Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, hosted a 90-minute livestreaming sale on video apps such as Kuaishou and Douyin to boost consumption of local cultural creativity and ICH products.

Due to the impact of the COVID-19 epidemic, many activities were staged online in youth-friendly formats. Over 1,000 documentaries on ICH were broadcast free online.

Traditional health exercises are performed at the launch ceremony for Shandong's celebration of this year's Cultural and Natural Heritage Day on June 13 in Yantai. [Photo/WeChat account: sdswltwx]

"Jiaodong bobo" (steamed buns popular in the Jiaodong peninsula of Shandong province) are displayed at the launch ceremony. [Photo/WeChat account: sdswltwx]

Wang Tingqi (left), deputy director of the Shandong Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, hosts a livestreaming show to promote the province's ICH products. [Photo/WeChat account: sdswltwx]

Cultural creative products and ICH related products, such as Weifang kites, Zhoucun sesame seed cakes and colored glaze products from Zibo are promoted during the online sale event. [Photo/WeChat account: sdswltwx]

A seminar on cultural heritage protection and utilization is held on June 13 in Yantai. [Photo/WeChat account: sdswltwx]