The annual Zijin Culture and Art Festival will open on October 29 with over one hundred activities to be carried out in about one month.

The festival, inaugurated in 2018, has become the top and largest art event in Jiangsu Province, and the new season will include drama, music, dance, calligraphy, art and photography.

From October 31 to November 17, 23 newly created plays that mainly focus on realistic and historical themes as well as traditional culture will be staged in Nanjing, Yangzhou, Nantong, Huai'an and Taizhou.

(Photo provided to Xinhua Daily)

The festival will also highlight the classical Wuju Opera performance The White Snake Legend, The Dream of The Red Chamber in different art forms, and ballet Onegin.

There will also be a violin solo, a concert by China National Symphony Orchestra and performances of cello classics and other programs that will truly delight music lovers.

In addition to exhibitions of Chinese painting, oil painting, woodblock printing and photos, the festival also has an exhibition on technology-themed sculpture works and the 6th Oriental Arts and Crafts City Expo, which is the highest fair of its kind in Jiangsu.

Held once every three years since 2007, the expo includes sculpture, calligraphy, painting, paper-cutting, weaving and embroidery, clothing and ornaments, ceramics, Four Treasures of Study, and ethnic and folk musical instruments.

The festival will also include the province's stand-up comedy show that people can watch online or on-site. There will also be about 15 plays to be staged in the little theatre unit.

In addition, nearly 30 works created by teams from Jiangsu's 19 universities have been shortlisted for the finals and will be staged at the Jiangsu Center for the Performing Arts as well as schools from November to December.