Opening ceremony of the 10th Asia Arts Festival. [Xinhua]

The 10th Asia Arts Festival opened in the central Chinese city of Zhengzhou, Henan Province on Friday evening.

About 2,000 artists from 20 Asian countries and regions are expected to attend the 13-day festival, the organizers said.

The festival, sponsored by the Ministry of Culture and the Henan provincial government, will feature live performances, films, exhibitions and a trade fair, and will end on Oct. 8 in Kaifeng, an ancient city in Henan. The annual event began in Beijing in 1998 and was inaugurated by the Ministry of Culture.

Opening ceremony of the 10th Asia Arts Festival. [Xinhua]