Guilin, one of China's most famous scenic spots in southern Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, opened its traditional tourism festival November 23 highlighting its beautiful hills and waters as well as its unique culture.

Guilin, an ancient tourist city founded 2,110 years ago, has so far this year received 550,000 overseas visitors and over eight million domestic tourists.

The tourism festival, which began in 1993, will display the city's beautiful natural scenery, unique folk customs and enchanting Lijiang River scenes.

A series of cultural activities and performances will be held throughout the festival.

Delegations from the United Nations Development Program, the United States, the Republic of Korea and Japan attended the evening's grand opening theatrical performance.