The 2024 Gateway to Arts summer festival was brought to an end with a performance staged by the National Ballet of China at the Forbidden City Concert Hall in Beijing on Saturday.

Besides excerpts from classic and contemporary ballet works, such as Swan Lake, and Cinderella, the ballet dancers also presented excerpts from the fairy tale ballet, The Nine-Colored Deer, allowing children to fully experience the beauty and depth of ballet art.

The festival, which spanned 58 days over the summer, featured 64 exciting performances, 11 distinctive art summer camps, and 15 themed public welfare activities.

Besides Beijing, the event also went to Tianjin and Hebei province, providing intangible cultural heritage and cultural tourism experiences to more families.

Established in 1995, the festival has become a summer staple for families in Beijing, offering a diverse array of art forms including classical music, traditional Chinese operas, dance performances, and puppet shows.

This year, the festival had not only staged top domestic musicians and art troupes but also international artists from Germany, Austria, Italy, Poland and Australia. Children with special needs were also invited to join the artistic experiences.