The 2021 Yangtze River Culture and Art Festival, which was live broadcast on more than 10 online platforms, opened in Zhangjiagang, a county-level city in Suzhou, Jiangsu province on Nov 14.

Dancers perform at the opening ceremony of Yangtze River Culture and Art Festival. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The opening ceremony presented the evolution of Chinese civilization and social changes through creative presentations and performances.

Performers sing Suzhou pingtan, a story-telling and ballad singing in the Suzhou dialect, at the opening ceremony. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Performers sing folk music themed on the Yangtze River at the opening ceremony. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

A promotional video for Zhangjiagang and the results of music solicitation for an ode to the Yangtze River were unveiled at the opening ceremony.

Before the opening ceremony of the festival, nine activities featuring cultural relics and intangible cultural heritage, including a contemporary visual art exhibition and an exhibition on the civilization along the Yangtze River, were held as a warm-up for the event.

The walls on both sides of the walkway at the exhibition on Yangtze River civilization show the development of Chinese archaeology. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

An immersive and interactive archaeological exhibition is held at Zhangjiagang Museum in Zhangjiagang. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Initiated in 2004, the Yangtze River Culture and Art Festival has become a platform for cultural exchanges and cooperation among cities along the Yangtze River.