The 2023 China Girls' Festival will open in Guangyuan city, Sichuan province on Sept 1.

People enjoy beautiful landscapes in Guangyuan, Sichuan province. [Photo/Guangyuan Daily]

The festival originated from the folk tradition of Guangyuan people in memory of Empress Wu Zetian of the Tang Dynasty (618-907). It has been successfully held for 34 sessions.

In early times, women would dress up and invite someone to stroll with them along the Jialing River in the hopes of receiving good luck on her birthday.

In addition to classic activities such as phoenix boat race and blind date in Zhaohua Ancient Town, this year's festival will have a women's economic industry meeting, Tang-style music and dance flash mob, and Touhu game, or Pitch-pot, an ancient entertainment that requires players to throw arrows from a set distance into a pot.

The women's free admission tour in Guangyuan will be held from Aug 31 to Sept 3. Female tourists who follow the WeChat account of the city’s cultural and tourism authority can visit more than 46 A-level and above scenic spots free of charge.