A series of cultural and leisure events within the Huairou Guochao Culture Festival kicked off on Saturday at the Sansa camping site in Beijing's Huairou district.

The event, hosted by the district's bureau of culture and tourism, will run through to Oct 31, with activities including markets, performances and exhibitions inspired by guochao.

Guochao, meaning "China chic", is a trend of merging traditional Chinese cultural elements with technological methods and modern aesthetics to create merchandise or artworks.

Huairou district boasts natural scenic zones, such as Qinglong Gorge and Yanqi Lake, and heritage sites such as the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall. The cultural festival seeks to transform these sites into platforms to express traditional culture, and build culturally rich travel destinations.

The festival engages a wide range of companies, including food companies setting up stalls at a themed market, time-honored handicraft brands bringing intangible cultural heritage experiences, as well as music gigs and film screenings.

To offer visitors outdoor experiences, three themed cycling and hiking routes are launched during the festival, that connect scenic sites and cultural zones. Meanwhile, a visual arts competition is set up to attract more young people to participate.