A grand concert was staged on the evening of Apr. 25 at the Suzhou Culture and Arts Center, marking the launch of the 6th Jiangnan Culture and Arts & International Tourism Festival. Liu Xiaotao, secretary of the CPC Suzhou Municipal Committee, and Wu Qingwen, deputy secretary of the CPC Suzhou Municipal Committee and mayor of Suzhou, attended the opening ceremony of the festival.
At the concert, artists from the Suzhou Symphony Orchestra, the Suzhou Chinese Orchestra and the Wuyun Choir performed such classic pieces as “The Peony Pavilion” based on Kunqu opera, “Jasmine”, “Song of the Fishermen”, and “Masquerade” suite, presenting the audience with an amazing audio-visual feast.
The Jiangnan Culture and Arts & International Tourism Festival has been successfully held for five sessions since 2019, aiming to show the charm of Jiangnan culture and increase the popularity of the “Jiangnan Culture” brand.
This year’s event will last until June. It features a great variety of artistic and cultural activities centering on 6 themes. During the two-month period, a slew of tourism promotion activities such as the Suzhou Spring Food Carnival and night tours of Suzhou gardens will be launched to promote the integrated development of culture, business and tourism industries. In addition, people can watch artistic performances including the Kunqu opera “The Peony Pavilion” (youth edition), the dance show “Poetic Dance: The Journey of a Legendary Landscape Painting”, and the modern dramas “Thunderstorm” and “White Deer Plain” as well as live concerts of pop stars like JJ Lin and Emil Wakin Chau. At the same time, there will be a number of activities themed on the silk culture and folk customs of Suzhou, such as the 2024 God-in-the-Crowd Festival (Ga Shen Xian), the Jinji Lake Dragon Boat Race and the 6th Jiangnan Hanfu Fashion Show.
During the 6th Jiangnan Culture and Arts & International Tourism Festival, coupons worth 17 million yuan will be offered to local residents and tourists through platforms such as “Su Zhou Dao” App to help drive cultural and tourism consumption.