A gala of music and dance at the National Center for the Performing Arts in Beijing on Thursday marked the opening of the 13th China Art Festival.

Chinese Vice Premier Sun Chunlan, who is also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, and Huang Kunming, a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and director of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, attended the opening ceremony.

Co-hosted by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the Beijing municipal government, the Tianjin municipal government, and the Hebei provincial government, this year's festival will run from Sept. 1 to 15, with theater productions, exhibitions, and award ceremonies held in Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei province.

During the festival, various themed art events will be held to promote in-depth and integrated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region in terms of culture and tourism.

Founded in 1987, the China Art Festival is the nation's most influential art and cultural event.