Performers from Guangzhou Song and Dance Theater dance during the International Dance Show of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Culture and Arts Festival, in Guangzhou, capital of China’s Guangdong province, June 25, 2019. (CHEN JIMIN / CHINA NEWS SERVICE)

HONG KONG – The First Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Culture and Arts Festival kicked off in Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong, on Monday, with performances from the three regions at the opening ceremony.

Total 12 boats, including a theme boat and 11 cruise ships representing each of the cities in the Greater Bay Area, offered a special boat tour for audience along the banks of the Pearl River, according to the Guangzhou city authorities.

Many local performances at the opening ceremony reveal the common cultural roots of Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao, said the host.

The festival, jointly hosted by the Guangdong provincial government, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, as well as the Hong Kong and Macao SAR governments, is aimed at integrating cultural resources from the three regions. 

More than 100 cultural programs and events will be held during the festival by year end to promote exchanges and cooperation within the area, according to the host.

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Guangdong will team up with Hong Kong and Macao to build a dynamic and competitive world-class city cluster, said Ma Xingrui, governor of Guangdong, at the ceremony.

This June 24, 2019 photo shows artists performing during the opening ceremony of the first Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Culture and Arts Festival in Guangzhou. (PHOTO / GD.PEOPLE.CN)

Renowned Hong Kong martial artist and actor Jackie Chan, right, and singer Joey Yung sing on stage during the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Culture and Arts Festival in Guangzhou, June 24, 2019. (PHOTO / GD.PEOPLE.CN)

Members of Hong Kong's City Contemporary Dance Company dance during the International Dance Show of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Culture and Arts Festival, in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, June 25, 2019. (CHEN JIMIN / CHINA NEWS SERVICE)

A performance by Guangdong Dance and Drama College at the International Dance Show of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Culture and Arts Festival, in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, June 25, 2019. (CHEN JIMIN / CHINA NEWS SERVICE)

“The festival is a key move to build the ‘Bay Area of Humanities’,” said Ma. “It’s a significant part of the Outline Development Plan for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area released by the State Council.”

Guangdong will take the festival as an opportunity to work with the SARs to create literary and artistic masterpieces that highlight the characteristics of the Bay Area, boosting the Bay Area’s cultural development, he added.