The Girls' Festival celebrated in SW China's Guangyuan

Sichuan's Guangyuan city -- hometown of Empress Wu Zetian of the Tang Dynasty (618-907) -- welcomes the celebration of the Girls' Festival (better known as nyuerjie) that fell on Sept 1.

During the opening ceremony, brightly decorated boats slowly approached the riverside.

The stages aboard the boats buzzed with performances of short play, songs and dances that displayed the city's historical and cultural deposits, as well as exhibiting the charms of the local women in the new era.

In addition, eight teams competed fiercely in the final of the 800-meter Phoenix Boat Race. Athletes tried their best to embody the spirit of self-improvement, and the contest roared with the sound of oars hitting water and the booming of the drums.

The President of the Sichuan Women's Federation, Yang Juan, expressed her congratulations. According to her, the festival has evolved from just a piece of folklore to commemorate Empress Wu. In 1988, the local government renewed the time-honored tradition and it is now a shining "brand name" of Guangyuan.

Zou Zijing, Party Secretary of the CPC municipal committee, extended a warm welcome to guests who appeared at the event, with extra emphasis on greeting the women in attendance.

He noted that hardworking Guangyuan women have displayed their talents across various fields, and have made outstanding contributions to the city's economic and social development.

The recently-concluded Party congress of the city, which is held once every five years, just laid out its vision for the city's modernization. Zou expressed his sincere hope to continue focussing on and welcoming people from all walks of life to invest in and further develop the city.