4th Beijing International Canal Arts Festival Opens in Tongzhou... Expanding Grand Canal Culture and Tourism Exchange

The 4th Beijing International Canal Arts Festival opened on September 24, 2026, in the Tongzhou Grand Canal area. This event, which began in 2018, marks its 4th year and is organized as a venue to expand cultural and artistic exchanges between China and overseas canal cities.

In alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, this year's festival focused on preserving and inheriting the Grand Canal as a living World Cultural Heritage. The Beijing Foreign Cultural Exchange Center invited approximately 150 VIPs and artists from various countries, including Albania, Côte d'Ivoire, Norway, Sweden, and Türkiye, to the opening ceremony. This is interpreted as a vision to simultaneously pursue urban regeneration and international exchange through the medium of the canal.

The opening stage featured China's Rongxiang Sanxian Chamber Orchestra, FETNO from Bucharest, Norwegian singer Maria Arredondo, and New Zealand singer-songwriter Luke Thompson. The festival will continue until September 27, featuring a total of 22 performances by 14 performing arts groups from 13 countries. During the event period, a bazaar themed "Canal × Mid-Autumn Festival" will also be held, with 60 booths prepared across three zones. Additionally, the video "Beijing Canal" was unveiled for the first time, and 10 courses of "Beijing Stroll—Grand Canal Culture Theme Tour" were introduced.