Grassroots minority artists to present arts festival

Grassroots minority artists will perform in the 4th National Ethnic Minority Arts Festival with no big stars invited, vice director of the State Ethnic Affairs Commission (SEAC) said Thursday.

Dainzhub Ongboin, the SEAC vice director, said at a press conference that the folk artists are from all 56 ethnic groups coming from all provincial level regions on the mainland as well as Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan.

"We did not invite big stars to perform in the festival so to give more new minority artists the opportunity to present novel works and styles with original form and flavors," he said.

The festival will be held from June 7 to July 6, and present 41 plays including traditional songs and dances, modern dramas, traditional Chinese opera, orchestra and acrobatics.

The first National Ethnic Minority Arts Festival was held in 1980 in Beijing, involving more than 2,000 performers and staff presenting 21 sets of plays from all 56 ethnic peoples including professional and amateur artists.