The opening ceremony for the 11th Dalian (Lushunkou) International Cherry Blossom Festival, running from April 3 to May 20 this year, was held on April 19 at the 203 Scenic Area in Lushunkou, a city in Northeast China's Liaoning province. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The opening ceremony for the 11th Dalian (Lushunkou) International Cherry Blossom Festival, running from April 3 to May 20 this year, was held on April 19 at 203 Scenic Area in Lushunkou, a city in Northeast China's Liaoning province.

This year's festival will include a number of activities, including international cultural exchanges, traditional Chinese cultural performances, public welfare photography exhibitions, and culture and tourism fairs.

The most notable thing about the festival is that people can visit at night, when the cherry blossoms will be lit up with colorful lights. There are also a variety of interactive activities available to visitors.

The China-Japan-Korea cultural exchange week, a cultural tourism investment fair, a cherry blossom cross-country competition, and a cherry blossom festival flash mob will also take place during the festival.

Zhao Hongwei (left at the first line), the secretary of Lushunkou District Party Committee, communicates with a handicraft artist on April 19. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]