The Huangguoshu Waterfall Festival kicked off near Huangguoshu, the largest waterfall in China, on Friday, Xinhua news agency reported.

Anshun, in southwestern China's Guizhou Province, hosts the festival to promote tourism in the area and its diverse mix of folk cultures. This annual festival was initiated in 2004.

The festival's opening ceremony included performances about life in Tunbao, a type of house found in the province.

Best known for its spectacular cluster of waterfalls, Anshun is home to three minority groups - Miao, Buyi and Gelao. The city has branched out this year to include Tunbao culture, hoping to make it another highlight besides the famous Huangguoshu Waterfall.

The festival's opening ceremony also featured Di opera (ground opera), one of the oldest types of opera in the world that dates back to the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). Known as a living fossil of opera, it is still frequently performed in Anshun. Masked players perform it outside in villages or in outlying areas.

The festival, which later will include a tourism product fair and a Muslim food festival, runs until October 19.