The opening ceremony of the 21st Hechi Bronze Drum & Folk Song Art Festival. [Photo/Hechi Daily]

On the evening of April 17, the 21st Hechi Bronze Drum & Folk Song Art Festival kicked off in Tian'e county.

The Hechi Bronze Drum & Folk Song Festival has been held on a rotating basis  in 11 counties (districts) of Hechi since 1999, for a total of 20 editions. It has become the largest cultural event and a unique attraction of HechI, as well as an important platform for external exchange and cooperation.

It is also one of three major art festivals in Guangxi, along with the Nanning International Folk Song Art Festival and the Guilin Landscape Tourism Festival. In 2011, it was named one of the "Top 10 brand festivals in China."

This year's event is being held in Tian'e from April 17 to 19. It includes nine major themed activities, including the opening ceremony, an investment promotion conference, a mass cultural performance, a non-material cultural heritage exhibition, a folk song competition, an art exhibition, and a cultural and food experience exhibition. Various other experiential activities for tourists will also be organized to promote Tian'e's cultural tourism projects.

All counties and districts in the city have organized outstanding artworks with local characteristics to participate in intangible cultural heritage exhibitions, mass art performances, folk song competitions, as well as calligraphy, painting, and photography exhibitions.

The event aims to showcase the achievements of Hechi's economic and social development, as well as the diverse ethnic and folk cultures there, and establish a platform for exchanges of ethnic culture, allowing tourists to enjoy a cultural feast.