Performers in the classic musical Pinocchio take to the stage at Tai Shan International Exhibition Center as part of Tai'an's first Children's Cultural and Art Festival on July 5. [Photo/tarb.cc]

A provincial touring theater group took to the stage at the inaugural Children's Culture and Art Festival, in Tai'an, Shandong province, on July 5, to perform the classic children's story Pinocchio.

It tells the tale of a mischievous animated wooden marionette puppet, named Pinocchio, and his father, a poor woodcarver named Geppetto. Pinocchio must be brave, truthful and unselfish in the face of trials and tribulations in order to become a real boy.

The audience was completely carried away by the wonderful performances during the full-length children's musical, which featured a gorgeous cartoon-style set and funny interactions between the performers and the children.

Li Yuhang, a second-grade pupil, said that the musical was more vivid than reading the book and that he would learn from Pinocchio and become a brave and honest boy.