Besides the UNESCO meeting, a forum and an exhibition about ICH protection was held and performances staged. A park specially designed for ICH protection was opened to the public during the festiva. 

The heart of the festival was a parade of more than 30 musical troupes from around the country along a 3-kilometer shopping street. They performed traditional music and operas inscribed on the national intangible cultural heritage list, which the Ministry of Culture published last June. Thousands of local people and visitors had their faces painted or wore colorful masks and took part in the carnival.