President Xi Jinping and other senior Chinese leaders watched an opening gala of the sixth ethnic minority art festival in Beijing on Tuesday evening.

Xi Jinping meets with representatives of the performers, organizers and primary-level Party members of 56 ethnic groups, before an opening gala of the sixth ethnic minority art festival in Beijing, capital of China, Aug. 31, 2021. Xi Jinping, Li Keqiang, Wang Yang, Wang Huning and other senior leaders of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the state watched the gala in Beijing on Tuesday evening. (Xinhua/Yan Yan)

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, joined an audience of more than 3,000 people at the Great Hall of the People.

The gala included songs, dances and other performances, showcasing the distinctive cultures of different ethnic groups.

Li Keqiang, Wang Yang, Wang Huning and other senior Party and state leaders also attended the gala.

Before the gala, the leaders met with representatives of the performers, organizers and primary-level Party members of 56 ethnic groups.

The festival will run until Sept. 24, during which time 42 performances will be staged online.