The fifth China International Folk Art Festival will be held this October in Hangzhou, capital of East China's Zhejiang Province.

The last four folk festivals were held in Beijing and saw over 1,400 participants from 59 ethnic groups from 31 countries, and attracted 1.2 million visitors.

Approved by the Ministry of Culture, the upcoming festival will be held by the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles and the Hangzhou municipal government.

An official with the organizing committee said that troupes from over 20 countries including India, Egypt, the United States and New Zealand will participate in the festival.

(www.cnzj.org.cn 08/02/2001)