LONDON, Aug. 5 (Xinhua) -- With a free public outdoor art event on Friday night and Saturday night, the 2017 Edinburgh International Festival (EIF) has kicked off in Scotland's capital city, marking its 70th anniversary.
To celebrate this special anniversary, an epic outdoor spectacle of sound and light has transformed St. Andrew Square into a magical night garden.
The Edinburgh International Festival was established in 1947 in the aftermath of the Second World War to "provide a platform for the flowering of the human spirit". Seventy years on, Edinburgh has bloomed magnificently as the world's Festival City, and help promote festivals throughout Europe and beyond Europe.
This year's EIF runs from Aug. 4 to Aug.28, welcoming over 2,000 artists from 40 nations in a diverse mix of music, dance, theatre and opera.
According to the festival organizers, audience from around 84 nations and regions would attend this unparalleled celebration of the performing arts this year.
"In our 70th anniversary year, it feels more important than ever perhaps, that we celebrate the founding values of this international festival and that through a shared celebration of artistic excellence and cultural exchange, we 'provide a platform for the flowering of the human spirit' and to continue to welcome the world to our city," said the Festival Director Fergus Linehan.
Fiona Hyslop, member of the Scottish National Party (SNP), cabinet secretary for culture, tourism and external affairs, said the Scottish government this year has supported local theatres and scriptwriters to examine the origins of European drama, "a timely theme considering the discourse taking place in many European countries now".
"Cultural expression is more important than ever in times of economic or political uncertainty," she added.
Chinese performers have been participating the Edinburgh Festival and Fringe for years to bring Chinese culture to the famous western style festival of arts that dates back to 1947. This year, China Focus, a collective program supported by China's Ministry of Culture and Shanghai Municipal Administration of Culture, Radio, Film and TV, brings a total of seven excellent stage performances to the Fringe starting Friday.
