Lanterns light up Dangkou Ancient Town in Wuxi on Sept 21. [Photo/wxrb.com]

The first China (Wuxi) Dangkou Light Art Festival opened in Dangkou Ancient Town in Wuxi, East China's Jiangsu province on the evening of Sept 21.

The light art festival will run for one month, featuring various activities like concerts, dance performances, Wuxi Opera shows, cultural fairs for intangible cultural heritage items, and art exhibitions.

At the opening ceremony, spectacular performances and light shows created an unforgettable audio and visual feast for attendees.

The opening ceremony of the first China (Wuxi) Dangkou Light Art Festival features lights and dance performances. [Photo/wxrb.com]

A fan-shaped screen showed the life stories of Wuxi artists Gu Kaizhi, Hua Qiuping, Hua Junwu, and Wang Xin at the opening ceremony. Wang Xin, the composer of "Ode to the Motherland", also "sang" the song with singers and the audience through the screen.

Dangkou Ancient Town, a national 4A-level tourist attraction in Wuxi, started to offer free admission on Sept 19.

The ancient town is now home to various restaurants, coffee shops, and dessert shops. Many cultural venues were also built inside the ancient town, including the Courtyard Film Museum, Hua Junwu's Cartoon Gallery, and Wang Xin's Former Residence Memorial Hall.

Here are some main events that will be held during the festival.

Cultural fair for intangible cultural heritage items

When: Oct 1 to 7

The cultural fair will invite inheritors of national intangible cultural heritage items in Wuxi to showcase their skills and products.

Art exhibition

When: Sept 21 to Oct 21

An oil painting exhibition of famous Chinese paintings and calligraphy will be held in Dangkou Ancient Town, featuring about 100 works from 20 artists that will transform the town into an art space.

Dangkou Folk Music Festival

When: Oct 16-17

Dangkou Folk Music Festival will invite seven sets of folk singers each day to perform, including famous campus folk singers Lao Lang and Pu Shu.