The song and dance performances at the opening ceremony leave audiences pleasantly surprised. [Photo provided to gofujian.com]

The 13th Ningde UNESCO Global Geopark Culture & Tourism Festival kicked off in Zhouning county, Ningde, on the evening of Aug 23 and will run until Aug 26.

During the opening night, Zhouning fully tapped into its intangible cultural heritage (ICH) through activities like a caijie parade, a type of festive parade, and ICH operas, offering visitors the chance to experience the county's unique charm.

Alireza Amrika-zemi, the respective of the UNESCO Global Geoparks Council, lauded the stunning scenery and well-preserved geological sites of Ningde UNESCO Global Geopark in his speech. He also highlighted the festival as a valuable platform for networking, increasing visibility, and promoting geotourism.

At the opening ceremony, digital cultural and tourism products like the Ningde Smart Tourism Map were unveiled. Additionally, ten measures were introduced to enhance cultural and tourism consumption in Ningde, a series of activities known as "Travel with the Competitions" was unveiled, and theme songs created specifically for the festival made their world premiere.

Throughout the event, Ningde will host the Ningde Culture and Tourism Investment Promotion Conference to promote its cultural and tourism offering and key investment projects and organize a volcanic geopark exchange meeting.

The folk art of caijie captivates tourists. [Photo provided to gofujian.com]