China International Youth Arts Festival to be held in nine cities

A press conference of the eighth China International Youth Arts Festival held in Beijing on Aug 4, 2015. [Photo by Lu Xu/provided to Chinaculture.org]

The eighth China International Youth Arts Festival will be held from Aug 12 to 28 in nine Chinese cities, including Beijing, Shanghai, and Jinan, said the organizers at a press conference in Beijing on Tuesday.

The festival will feature stage performances, art exhibitions and academic forums. This year, artists from 28 countries and regions will participate and a total of 550 activities will be held.

At the press conference, President of China Art and Entertainment Group (CAEG) Zhang Yu said that this year's festival will live up to expectation.

As this year marks the 70th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and World War II, Russia has been invited as the guest of honor in a sign of profound friendship thatthe two nations have forged.

Russia will send famous art troupes and artists, such as Mariinsky Theatre and BIS-QUIT band, to the festival. These artists will stage 10 performances, including those at the opening and closing ceremony.

The festival will also introduce support programs for youth artists who have shown artistic talents and creativity in different domains of Chinese arts. Those selected will be provided better opportunities for career development.

Another highlight of the festival is that activities will be held in nine cities across China, giving people a better chance to appreciate artistic performances.

The event will provide a great variety of performances, from The Peony Pavilion from Kunqu opera of Chinese intangible cultural heritage to high arts of ballet, symphony, and piano solo by artists from Russia, Germany and Israel; from the modern Beijing opera The Red Lantern to western musicals such as The Phantom of the Opera.

Since launched in 2008, the annual event is not only a special platform for young artists to demonstrate their artistic crafts, but also helps enhance cultural exchanges between China and other countries.