19th China Wuqiao International Circus Festival kicks off in Shijiazhuang

A grand acrobatics festival kicked off on Friday night in Shijiazhuang, the capital city of North China's Hebei province, presenting various forms of acrobatics and the latest developments in the circus art field around the globe.

The 19th China Wuqiao International Circus Festival was co-hosted by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the People's Government of Hebei.

The organizing committee has selected 30 impressive performances from nearly 500 entries of over 50 countries and regions for showcasing themselves during this year's festival.

The performances will compete for three Golden Lion awards, five Silver Lions and seven Bronze Lions, according to the provincial culture and tourism department.

Founded in 1987 and held every two years, the festival is the biggest and most influential event in the field of acrobatics within China, as well as one of the nation's most extensive international artistic competitions and cultural festivals, according to a report by Xinhua News Agency.

Since its inception, it has invited more than 600 performances from more than 60 countries and regions to participate in the festival, and over 30,000 guests and acrobats from home and abroad have gathered in Hebei for the grand event, according to the provincial culture and tourism department.

The report said that the festival is one of the top three circus events in the world, together with the Monte-Carlo International Circus Festival in Monaco and the World Circus Festival of Tomorrow in Paris, France,.