The opening ceremony for China's first national dance festival was held in Kunming, capital of southwest China's Yunnan province, on Sunday.

The 21-day festival has attracted over 4,000 famous dancers from throughout China and foreign countries such as Brazil and Germany.

While 140 local dancers compete for awards in solo and pairs dancing, foreign dancers will be showing their skills in Chinese dancing.

Xu Rongkai, governor of Yunnan, said dancing is an important part of Chinese folk art and the festival will help improve cultural exchanges between China and other countries.

Yunnan is a province which has 26 minority groups skilled in dancing, and over 1,000 different kinds of dances.

The festival will end on May 18.

(Xinhua News Agency April 28, 2002)