The 16th Straits Forum and the 33rd Cross-Strait Guandi Culture and Tourism Festival opened in Dongshan, a coastal county in Zhangzhou, East China's Fujian province, on Tuesday, to celebrate the time-honored Guandi culture and foster cross-Strait exchanges.

Guandi refers to Guan Yu, a revered general from the late Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220), admired for his courage and loyalty. The worship of Guan Yu is still prevalent throughout China today.

This year's festival attracted more than 1,500 people from both sides of the Taiwan Strait. The opening ceremony featured performances by opera masters from six different traditional opera forms, including Kunqu Opera, Peking Opera and Yuju Opera, who showcased classical excerpts that highlighted the heroic charm of Guan Yu.