The 17th Suzhou International Tourism Festival will kick off at the scenic Panmen Gate area in Jiangsu province at 7 pm on April 11, 2014.

The opening ceremony will have six major parts, including a performance that highlights modern Suzhou with a combination of rock and Pingtan-style storytelling and ballad singing in the Suzhou dialect.

For the first time, this year, visitors can see the colorful ships from onboard the boats nearby instead of standing on the riverbanks. The cruise will begin at 7:50 pm, and after landing at Xiangmen port, visitors can see local Wu culture performances, handicrafts exhibition and try some Taiwan snacks.

Nearly 500 tourism enterprises from countries and regions, such as Spain and Canada, will participate in the first Suzhou international tourism trade fair, scheduled for April 12-14. One thousand tourism products, including one worth 7,000 yuan, will be given away as gifts.

Visitors are also invited to join in an auction of tourism products. A lucky draw will be held at 3A mall and 4A mall of the trade fair, and prizes will be group tours with domestic and international destinations.