The 14th Culture and Art Festival of Countries in the Lancang-Mekong River Basin opened in Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture, Southwest China's Yunnan Province, on October 28.
Artists from Lancang-Mekong nations, China, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar, gathered at the festival to foster cross-border friendship through art.
The opening gala featured a vibrant lineup of song and dance performances from Lancang-Mekong countries, showcasing the region's diverse cultures.
A series of side events will run alongside the festival, including a Xishuangbanna international photography exhibition, a Lancang-Mekong goods carnival and tea-music performances, to deepen people-to-people ties and culture and tourism cooperation across the basin.
First held in 1992 as a border cultural event for the six Lancang-Mekong countries, the festival adopted its current name in 2011. Over more than three decades, it has grown into a key platform for cultural display, mutual learning and grassroots friendship.
Xishuangbanna shares borders with Laos and Myanmar and sits close to Thailand and Vietnam. Home to many of China's ethnic groups, it serves as a vital frontier hub linking the six Lancang-Mekong countries.
Reporter | Huang Xinyi
Photos | Organizers of the 14th Culture and Art Festival of Countries in the Lancang-Mekong River Basin
Sun Lulu (intern) also contributed to the story.
