The 14th Culture and Art Festival of Countries in the Lancang-Mekong River Basin opened Wednesday in Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Yunnan Province.
Artists from the six Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (LMC) countries put on performances celebrating regional cultural integration and closer tourism ties through performances.
The opening gala of the festival featured four chapters, with classic acts from China, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam taking the stage in turn and offering a showcase of distinctive cultural traditions.
The finale saw Chinese and foreign performers sing the song "Fly Together," vividly demonstrating the deep friendship and shared dreams of the six LMC countries.
In addition, a shopping bazaar, as a major highlight of the festival, opened Thursday. Featuring seven themed exhibition areas, it brings together specialty agricultural products and cultural and creative goods from LMC countries, as well as products and services related to health and wellness, residential tourism and ethnic experiences.
Yunnan specialty products proved popular among visitors at the market, including locally grown coffee and crafts woven in the traditional style of the Dai ethnic group.
"There are so many great things at this market -- coffee, beans, Dai brocade. I'm quite interested in all of them," said Lin Xiyue, a visitor from southwest China's Sichuan Province.
The grand event also presented a valuable opportunity for visitors and performers from the LMC countries to better understand each other's cultures.
"I'm very happy to represent Myanmar at this festival. It's also my first time in Xishuangbanna, and I've experienced a lot of Chinese culture. I'm very happy," said a performer from Myanmar.
Artists celebrate regional unity at Lancang-Mekong Culture and Art Festival in Xishuangbanna
