The 9th China Kunju Opera Art Festival, co-hosed by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the Jiangsu Provincial People's Government, will open in Suzhou from April 28 to May 4, according to a press conference held on April 19.

This festival will feature 16 Kunju works performed by the art troupes from Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Hunan and other regions, reflecting both the preservation and innovation of this traditional performing art.

The repertoire includes both daxi, which refers to a relatively large-scale performance, and zhezixi, the performance of an act or a part chosen from an opera. Short plays, signature works of the art troupes, will also be performed in small theaters, schools and opera museums.

To engage a wider audience, the festival will promote Kunju in universities and parks through flash mob and other interactions.

During the festival, the 10th Kunju Academic Symposium will focus on the role of youth groups in the inheritance and development of Kunju, musical creation, and strategies for talent cultivation.