Artists at the on-going 11th China Arts Festival in China's northwest Shaanxi Province are presenting some of the country’s best artistic creations and performances in venues across the province. Silk Road themed shows are the highlight of this year's event.

During the 11th China Arts Festival, 57 shows are to be staged and will compete for "Wenhua Award", the highest honor to be awarded at the event.

This opera titled "Su Wu" is representing Shaanxi Province at the festival. The show put the patriotic official of the Han Dynasty in the spotlight. It is the last one of the "Han Trilogy" and combines western opera traditions with Shaanxi Province's traditional tunes.

"Su Wu"

"This show intends to tell our story through opera, a western performing art. It vividly portrays the life of Su Wu and the ups and downs. To sum up, the show embodies the spirit of patriotism, the loyalty to the nation," said playwright Dang Xiaohuang.

It is reported that at this year's festival, performing troupes from all around the country are taking part. The shows cover a wide range of categories including drama, opera, ballet, acrobatics and much more. And almost each category has a performance that ties in with the Silk Road theme. One important rule of this year's competition is that the show must give more than 50 public performances - something the public has greatly appreciated.

"It is really rare for us to see so many high level performances on our doorstep. I'm truly amazed by the great performing artists."

Hosted by China's Ministry of Culture and the Shaanxi provincial government, the festival aims to guide and promote the development of contemporary art in the country.

With a theme of "art feast, people's festival", the event demonstrates the national level of artists from around China. First-class pieces of fine art and photography, as well as calligraphy will be exhibited during the festival.