More than 60 street artists have been performing in different parts of Luohu District since last week as part of an ongoing street culture festival organized by the Luohu District Culture Bureau.

The festival, which began Feb. 6 and will carry on until the end of the month, will give the Shenzhen's Chinese New Year celebrations another cultural touch.

Street paintings, hip-hop, dough modeling, and Western and oriental music are highlights of the festival, which features about 30 kinds of visual and performing art. The performances will be held in places like Kingglory Plaza, International Trade Square, Carrianna Friendship Square, Dongmen Square, Times Square, The MIXc shopping center and the Railway Station.

Erhu player Luo Hongjun, 51, has made a living playing the two-stringed Chinese fiddle in Shenzhen's open-air food stalls since 2001. Sporting long whiskers and a black gown, his folk music collaboration with guzheng player Chen Shirong has become an attraction in Kingglory Plaza on Renmin Road South.

Chen, once a gold medal winner in a city guzheng playing competition, said many folk artists in Shenzhen have no fixed places for performing, although they have real ability. Luo said he is often driven away by building employees and security guards while in the middle of a performance.

The street art festival has given the performers a chance to become well-known, and the recognition from the district authorities has ensured they are respected by the public.

The decision to bolster the cultural image of a commercial center like Luohu has received support from the businesses as well. Many department stores in Luohu have proposed allowing street artists to perform at the entrances of shopping plazas to attract customers.

Editor: Donald