The 2004 China Taoism Culture Festival will open on June 5 on Mount Qingcheng, a World Heritage site some 63 kilometers from Chengdu, capital of southwest China's Sichuan Province.

The six-day festival will feature Taoist music, martial arts, food and tea art through a series of activities, including an international forum on Taoism culture, an evening party, martial art shows, exhibitions on paintings and relics.

Mount Qingcheng, popular for its flush and green surroundings, is one of the birthplaces of Chinese Taoism.

It has been added to the World Heritage List of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

Qingcheng is made up of the Front Mountain and the Rear Mountain, with the former highlighting Taoist Caverns and the Upper Clarity Temple, and the latter boasting natural scenery.

(Xinhua News Agency May 17, 2004)