The 10th Western China Folk Song Contest kicked off in Yongning County, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, on August 23.

The 10th Western China Folk Song Contest kicked off in Yongning County, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, on August 23. [Photo: NXNEWS]

In the opening ceremony, more than 200 singers from 13 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions in western China sang and danced on stage.

Aiming to advance and enrich Hua’er, a kind of popular folk song in northwestern provinces such as Gansu, Ningxia and Qinghai, the contest will hold Hua’er and western folk song competitions with special awards. Initiated in 1998, the Western China Folk Song Contest has attracted some 1000 attendants from more than 20 ethnic groups to take part in the event.