Performances with distinctive national features and vivid regional characteristics were presented at the opening gala of the 13th China Folk Art Festival in Qingdao's West Coast New Area on Thursday. [Photo by Yu Fangping/For chinadaily.com.cn]

The 13th China Folk Art Festival kicked off in Qingdao's West Coast New Area in Shandong province on Thursday.

Twenty folk performance teams from 18 provincial-level regions, along with experts and artists, provided an audio-visual feast with distinctive national features and vivid regional characteristics during the opening gala.

The four-day event will include song and dance shows, seminars and art exhibitions displaying the development of folk art and cultures across China.

Held biennially, the festival is the most high-profile event in terms of folk art in the country.