Cultural and Arts Festival kicks off in Shandong's city

The 2024 Weihai Torch Cup Cultural and Arts Festival recently commenced in the Weihai Torch Hi-tech Science Park – located in Weihai city in East China's Shandong province. At the opening ceremony, vibrant drumbeats set the tone as a succession of magnificent performances unfolded.

In a bid to encourage mass participation, the festival, once merely a singing competition, has been expanded to a series of events this year.

The original singing competition is divided into four stages: mass-election, quarter-final, semi-final and final, featuring youth and adult categories. All matches will be live-streamed on the official video platform, enabling music enthusiasts who are unable to attend in person to immerse themselves in the competition's fervent atmosphere and the enchanting allure of the music.

This year's competition is meant not only to open up boundless opportunities for aspiring musicians but also to ignite a deeper passion for the arts within the community, fostering cultural enrichment.

"Alongside the singing competition, a diverse array of art forms such as dance, instrumental music, traditional opera and photography will be showcased, uniting cultural talent from across the district," said Zhang Qiang, chairman of the event committee.

The goal of the festival is to offer a more inclusive and engaging platform for the public, allowing them to revel in joy during the festivities. (Edited by Gao Xin and Du Xiaping)

Audiences enjoy a performance at the opening ceremony. [Photo by Gao Xin for chinadaily.com.cn]