Guangxi Opera performance at the launch ceremony for the 7th Liu Sanjie Cultural Tourism Festival in Yizhou, Hechi, on April 8. [Photo / xinhuanet]

The opening ceremony for the 7th Liu Sanjie Cultural Tourism Festival was held in Yizhou, a county-level city in Hechi, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, on April 8, celebrating the life of the city's most well-known folk singer.

Born during the Tang Dynasty (AD 618 – 907), Liu Sanjie was considered not only beautiful but also a very skilled singer of traditional folk songs. The story of her life has fascinated and inspired the people of Yizhou so much that a folk singing and cultural tourism festival has been named in her honor.

As the story goes, at the age of 17 Liu fell in love with a local boy who was also a talented singer, with the two swearing true love and that they would never separate. However, as the two lovebirds sat upon a moonlit rock on the bank of the Liujiang River one evening, they were set upon by a jealous rival and a group of local thugs. With no way of escape, the couple jumped hand-in-hand into the roaring river, never to be seen again.