Now in its 19th year, the Meet in Beijing Arts Festival has seen 30,000 artists from 120 countries perform, attracting over 4.2 million audience members, Chen Nan reports.

The capital's largest annual celebration of dance, music, drama and art - the Meet in Beijing Arts Festival - will see nearly 600 artists from 35 performing arts groups from 25 countries and regions gather together in Beijing.

Kicking off on Thursday and running through May 25, the monthlong art festival will stage around 50 live performances, three art exhibitions, an outdoor music festival and a number of public art education activities, providing audiences with a lavish and diverse choice of events.

Now in its 19th year, the festival normally invites a single country to act as guest of honor. However, in a break with annual tradition, and to mark the first Conference on Dialogue of Asian Civilizations taking place in May, this year's event will center around the theme of Asian culture and showcase artists from around the region, according to Li Jinsheng, the president of the China Arts and Entertainment Group, the festival's organizer.

The festival also aims to promote cultural exchanges among countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative. With a diverse range of programs brought to the festival by participating countries, Li hopes the festival will serve as an important platform for building a community of sharing and understanding.

Since 2000, the Meet in Beijing Arts Festival has seen some 30,000 artists from 120 countries and regions perform and attracted more than 4.2 million audience members to attend.