Artists perform traditional operas from Kunshan and surrounding areas at the 2016 Kunshan Opera Festival.

Traditional art performances from Kunshan and surrounding areas were staged at the Tinglin Garden in Kunshan city from Oct 1 to 3.

As part of the 2016 Kunshan Opera Festival and also in celebration of the National Day, artists performed Kunqu Opera, Wuxi Opera, Yue Opera and Suzhou Pingtan (story-telling and ballad singing in the Suzhou dialect).

Many of the artists were previous winners of the "Plum Blossom Award", China's highest prize for drama, as well as professional opera troupes from Kunshan, Suzhou, Wuxi and Shanghai.

A Kunshan opera fan named Yang said, "My parents and I are delighted to see so many stars in our city."

The festival, which was gained great support from the Kunshan municipal government, has been held for over 10 years to better the residents' knowledge of China's traditional culture. The event also displays local intangible cultural relics and traditional craftsmanship.