The 16th Guangzhou Folk Culture Festival, commonly known as the Boluodan Temple Fair, kicked off in the city's Huangpu district on Thursday after a three-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The fair, which will last until Saturday, demonstrates the rich historical and cultural heritage of the district in the city, whose history spans more than 2,200 years.

The fair is now the oldest and grandest folk temple fair in the Pearl River Delta region.

Guangzhou, Guangdong province, is an important starting point of the ancient Maritime Silk Road, which the event deeply integrates with the local folk culture in the southern metropolis.

In addition to traditional singing and dancing, special folk culture activities and performances have been organized, including Lingnan (South China) intangible cultural heritage and art exhibitions.

Tourists can also enjoy local specialty snacks while visiting the fair.

Yi Caiyan, deputy director of the Huangpu district bureau of culture, broadcast, television and tourism, said the fair would help Huangpu further promote its tourism industry.