The 2025 Qingdao International Folk Art Festival kicks off in Qingdao, East China's Shandong province, on June 22. [Photo/IC]

The 2025 Qingdao International Folk Art Festival began on the historic Zhongshan Road in Qingdao, East China's Shandong province, on June 22.

At the opening ceremony, folk art troupes from countries such as Russia, Sri Lanka, South Korea, and Thailand joined top domestic performance teams on stage to present an artistic dialogue that spans mountains and seas. Performers from various countries turned the old city streets and alleys into natural stages, demonstrating the charm of diverse world cultures through exotic parade performances and lively improvisational interactions.

After the opening ceremony, international and domestic folk artists participated in art parades at various scenic spots in Qingdao, including Zhanqiao Pier, Qingdao Olympic Sailing Center, Zhongshan Park, Laoshan Mountain, and the Qingdao SCODA Pearl International Expo Center.

As the tourism and cultural capital of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization for 2024 to 2025, Qingdao has focused on building bridges for international cultural exchanges in recent years.

This art festival, using folk art as a universal language, not only interprets the concept of "beauty in diversity, shared beauty" in civilizational dialogue but also demonstrates Qingdao's open and inclusive spirit to the world. This cross-border folk art event is a vibrant effort by Qingdao to promote mutual learning of civilizations and encourage people-to-people exchanges.