The 13th Liaoning Art Festival is scheduled to open in late August under the theme “Liaoning: A Land Blessed by Nature, Alive with Art”. Major events will include judging for the 7th Liaoning Wenhua Awards, showcases of invited productions, performances for the public, and a symposium on enhancing originality in cultural creation. The festival will also feature exhibitions of intangible cultural heritage and digital art, along with several themed cultural tourism itineraries.

The festival will present a diverse lineup of high-quality performances, including dance dramas, symphonic performances, acrobatic dramas and musicals, as well as outstanding productions of Peking Opera, Pingju Opera, Fuxin Mongolian Opera and other forms of Chinese opera. The opening ceremony will highlight Liaoning’s revolutionary cultural heritage rooted in the traditions of the Lu Xun Academy of Arts, as well as the province’s tradition of taking the lead and shouldering responsibility. It will bring together a diverse range of works, including staged dramatic scenes, innovative revivals of classic Chinese opera, acrobatic portrayals of major national engineering achievements, performances that keep regional opera traditions alive, and a Yingdiao Opera production themed around rural revitalization. Together, these works will cover revolutionary culture, industrial spirit, traditional culture, regional character and contemporary subject matter.

During the festival, a special showcase of Chinese opera excerpts from Liaoning and Jiangsu will be held under the theme “Harmony Between North and South”. The Suzhou Kunqu Opera Theater of Jiangsu will be invited to perform in Liaoning alongside local artists presenting classic excerpts from Peking Opera and Pingju Opera. Together, they will present an artistic feast that bridges northern and southern traditions and blends distinct styles.

The festival will run alongside a series of sporting events, including the knockout stage of the Northeast City Football League, the Shenyang Marathon and the Shenyang “Peace Cup” International Juvenile Football Tournament, creating integrated sports-and-arts scenarios. The Shenyang Marathon, the “Peace Cup” tournament and other sporting events will also feature song-and-dance performances, live band performances and other art programs.