The 2nd Suzhou Xiangcheng International Culture and Art Festival kicked off at Huolidao Music Plaza on the evening of Sept. 19. Gu Haidong, member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Suzhou Municipal Committee and vice mayor of Suzhou, attended the opening ceremony.
This year’s festival will feature 21 cultural and artistic activities including a national joint painting and calligraphy exhibition of works by Shen Zhou (1427-1509), the “Xiancheng’s 28 Craftsmen” exhibition of innovative works by young craftsmen, a cultural exchange exhibition featuring Chinese and Japanese artists, the 2nd Caohu Lake Golden Autumn International Dragon Boat Race & Yangtze River Delta Dragon Boat Invitational Tournament, and the Chinese folk orchestral concert Treasures of a Nation by the China National Opera & Dance Drama Theater.
That evening, the Huolidao Commercial Street was opened. A series of featured night activities centering on shopping, snacking, entertainment, performance, touring, sports and reading was launched to enrich residents’ nightlife and boost consumption after dark, which will last until the end of November.