Twenty-six years ago today, on November 2, 1999 (September 25, 1999 lunar calendar), the first China Shanghai International Arts Festival opened. On the evening of November 2, 1999, the first China Shanghai International Arts Festival kicked off at the Shanghai Grand Theater. Li Lanqing, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Vice Premier of the State Council, attended the opening ceremony. Colorful balloons were suspended around the Shanghai Grand Theater. "To carry forward the art of the Chinese nation and promote cultural exchanges between China and foreign countries", "Welcome, artists from all over the world"... Gorgeous banners, flying in the autumn wind. The stone steps are covered with flowers. The huge festival emblem inlaid with red, white, yellow and blue carnations exudes a faint fragrance. 180 symphony musicians and 60 middle school student violinists played the joyous and exciting festival song "The Earth is a Beautiful Circle". The Shanghai International Arts Festival, which is based on internationality, nationality and classics, is the only comprehensive national-level international arts festival in our country. Sun Jiazheng, director of the festival organizing committee and minister of culture, said in his opening speech that the Chinese nation has a long cultural tradition, which is deeply rooted in the rich soil of the Chinese nation, and at the same time faces the world with a broad mind. Since the reform and opening up, the scale of China's foreign cultural exchanges has continued to expand and the level has continued to improve. The holding of the China Shanghai International Arts Festival will play a positive role in further promoting the exchange of culture and art between China and foreign countries, absorbing the world's excellent cultural achievements, expanding the dissemination and influence of Chinese culture and art in the world, and enhancing the understanding and friendship between the Chinese people and people from all over the world. The China Shanghai International Arts Festival is a large-scale art event for Chinese and foreign artists to join hands to welcome the new century. It is a grand festival for people of all ethnic groups who love peace and art. Xu Kuangdi, director of the organizing committee of the arts festival and mayor of Shanghai, delivered a welcome speech. He said that the holding of the China International Arts Festival in Shanghai will play a strong role in promoting Shanghai to gradually become a high-level, open and diverse international cultural exchange center city. On behalf of the Shanghai Municipal Government and the 13 million Shanghai people, he expressed that he will welcome domestic and foreign guests with the greatest enthusiasm, beautiful environment, good facilities and high-quality service. The first China Shanghai International Arts Festival is known as a rich "art feast". It mainly showcases stage performing arts, with more than 30 excellent domestic and foreign dramas (festivals) participating in official performances and 20 wonderful performances participating in congratulatory performances. At the same time, the festival will also hold performance fairs, art exhibitions, art fairs and Asian music festivals to carry out a variety of cultural activities. The festival will not only become a stage to focus on displaying Chinese culture and art, but also a window to learn from the world's excellent culture and art. At the same time, it will provide a good opportunity to start the Sino-foreign culture and art trading market and explore and develop the cultural industry. At the opening ceremony, the Shanghai Song and Dance Troupe performed a large-scale costume dance "Golden Dance and Silver Jewelry". This is a stage boutique that integrates historical accumulation and the vitality of the times. The colorful costumes of the Chinese nation and the graceful dances of the past dynasties are vividly combined. The whole play consists of five acts: "Qionggong Shen Yun", "City Style", "Military Life", "Friendship between Rivers and Seas", "Etiquette and Brilliance", as well as the prologue "Echo of the Ancient" and the conclusion "Harmony of the Century". Li Yuanchao, deputy director of the organizing committee of the first China Shanghai International Arts Festival and vice minister of culture, presided over the opening ceremony. The 6th China Shanghai International Arts Festival opens our country's famous baritone Liao Changyong (left) and others perform the opera "The Barber of Seville". The 7th China Shanghai International Arts Festival opens