7th annual Shanghai Street Art Festival begins

The seventh Shanghai Street Art Festival kicked off on Saturday night with 16 buskers being named "city artists" who not only better themselves but also lead teams of other artists in performances on stages in different corners of the city.

The Shanghai Performance Arts Association has issued more than 300 licenses to local buskers. However, due to factors like the coronavirus pandemic, there are currently only about 120 who frequently appear on local streets.

These city artists are the backbone of the busker group which boasts outstanding talent and excellent skill.

According to Wei Zhi, head of the association, the city artists are "light cavalry" who perform anywhere, including theaters, communities, shopping centers, commercial buildings, and in the open air outside.

At the opening ceremony of the street art festival, dozens of buskers sang and played instruments in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China and National Day.

Their performance was joined by an "audience chorus" from amateur singing groups in Jing'an District.

At the site, several intangible cultural heritage craftsmen showed their skills to the public. Many of them also have brought their workmanship to schools to allow young people to develop an interest in cultural heritage.

During the festival, more than a hundred buskers will give performances in plazas, shopping centers, and streets in districts including Jing'an, Huangpu, Changning, Yangpu and Hongkou.