Artists from China's 55 ethnic minority groups are now gathering in Beijing for the 4th National Ethnic Minority Arts Festival. The grand opening gala - to be held on Tuesday night at the Bird's Nest, has finished its first round of rehearsal.

The cream of the crop of China's ethnic stage arts will soon be taking to stage in Beijing. From early June till early July, theaters across the city will host dozens of ethnic performances... and the opener gives a little taste of each. Highlights include song and dance from northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, and children's' performances from Inner Mongolia and Xinjiang Uygur autonomous regions. The country's southwest will also be making a strong showing.

Ding Wei, director of the opening gala, said, the performers come from villages, farmland, and mountainous valleys. Most of them are in Beijing for the first time, but they are bringing us the very best of their folk arts.

Two thousand and three hundred artists are participating in the opening gala. It's hoped their routines will give Beijingers a sense of their costumes, culture and ways of life.

In total 41 shows and 92 performances are slated for theaters across the capital. It seems this is a great time to be in Beijing for lovers of both theater and Chinese culture alike.