The 2018 Colorful Guizhou Culture and Arts Festival, a yearly cultural event designed to showcase the ethnic charm of various regions in Guizhou, commenced on June 2.

2018 Colorful Guizhou Culture and Arts Festival began on June 2. [Photo by Wu Ming/chinanews.com]

The festival has been held annually in Guiyang, the capital city of Guizhou province, since 2016 in an effort to promote Guizhou's unique folk arts and showcase its diverse ethnic cultures.

The 2018 Colorful Guizhou Culture and Arts Festival will last from June to October this year. Every week, a different county in the province, each with their own unique ethnic culture, will bring eye-catching performances to the festival, according to event organizers.

Women perform traditional ethnic dances during the 2018 Colorful Guizhou Culture and Arts Festival. [Photo by Wu Ming/chinanews.com]

Kaiyang was the first county to take the stage this year, taking the advantage to showcase its cultural beauty on June 2. It captivated audiences and visitors with traditional ethnic performances such as folk singing and dancing, lion dancing, sketches, wax printing and embroidery.

A lion dance is performed on stage. [Photo by Wu Ming/chinanews.com]

Xi He contributed to this story.