Elderly residents perform a traditional dance in Wuxi, Jiangsu province on Jan 18. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The 2020 Our Festivals activities, featuring an opening ceremony and various traditional art displays, kicked off in the Wuxi Economic Development Zone on Jan 18.

The warm-up activities ahead of the Chinese New Year were organized by the municipal publicity department and the public etiquette and ethical standards office to highlight the theme of "adapting old customs and embracing new life in a more civilized society".

The organizers invited Wuxi's role models in the fourth quarter of 2019 to take the stage and encouraged audiences to follow their examples in order to build a harmonious community.

Traditional performances and intangible culture heritage items are featured in Wuxi on Jan 18. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Other highlights included performances by folk artists and intangible cultural heritage items such as bamboo carving, Huishan Clay Figurines, and paper-cutting artworks.

Over the past 14 years, there have been over 200 similar shows held across Wuxi, bringing untold joy to the residents of the city and boosting economic development.