The opening ceremony of the 13th Zhengzhou International Shaolin Wushu Festival, Dengfeng, Zhengzhou city, Henan province, October 19. [Photo by Guo Xiaohong/ China.org.cn]

The 13th Zhengzhou International Shaolin Wushu Festival kicked off in Dengfeng, the birthplace of kung fu, in Zhengzhou, a city in central China's Henan province, on October 19.

This year's event brought together 2,560 athletes from 56 countries and regions, ranging in age from 4 to 82 years old.

Foreign athletes at the opening ceremony of the 13th Zhengzhou International Shaolin Wushu Festival. [Photo by Guo Xiaohong/ China.org.cn]

Along a 13-kilometer route from the Shaolin Temple to the festival's opening venue, 30,000 young students from local kung fu schools performed various forms of martial arts, showcasing the depth of Chinese kung fu.

The opening ceremony of the 13th Zhengzhou International Shaolin Wushu Festival. [Photo by Guo Xiaohong/ China.org.cn]

This year's festival features not only traditional Shaolin Wushu (martial arts) competitions and the Wushu Duanwei evaluation for overseas participants, a ranking test, but also new events, including a collective kung fu performance, an international fight competition, a U.S.-China youth training camp, a kung fu adventure, and a Cambodian-Chinese boxing showcase. Various cultural activities are also being hosted, such as kung fu demonstrations, cultural tourism projects, and international martial arts exchanges.

A Cambodian boxing performance during the festival. [Photo provided to China.org.cn]

The festival is organized by the Henan provincial government and co-hosted by the province's sports administration and the Zhengzhou city government.