Performers dance at the opening ceremony of the 19th Zhaojun Cultural Festival in Hohhot, North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region on July 25. [Photo/VCG]

The 19th Zhaojun Cultural Festival kicked off with dramatic performances to mark the ancient Chinese beauty Wang Zhaojun in Hohhot, N China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region on July 25, taking audiences back to earlier times.

Wang Zhaojun, also known as Wang Qiang, was a concubine to Emperor Yuandi during a time of hostility between the Han and Xiongnu clans of the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC–AD 24).

She volunteered to serve as an ambassador for peace, leaving the imperial court to marry the Chanyu, chieftain of the Xiongnu in ancient China. Wang has since been a symbol of harmony among the different ethnic groups in China.

“Since its launch in 1999, the Zhaojun Cultural Festival has attracted numerous tourists, scholars and businessmen at home and abroad, which not only promotes the ethnic cultures, but also boosts the local economic growth,” said Feng Yuzhan, mayor of Hohhot, speakingat the opening ceremony.

Mayor Feng noted that the city will further build the festival as a platform for staging a cultural gala to the world and to promote ethnic unity across China.

The festival will include over 20 activities, such as art performances, film screenings, exhibitions, forums, food festivals, sports matches, beer festivals and extreme sports.

A self-driving activity will be the highlight of this year's event. Participants will have the opportunity to travel along the same route as Zhaojun, from Chang'an (currently Xi'an in Shaanxi province) to Wuyuan (currently Baotou) in Inner Mongolia.

Performers in ethnic minority costumes are pictured at the opening ceremony of the 19th Zhaojun Cultural Festival in Hohhot, North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region on July 25. [Photo/VCG]